During 1988—89, the BOBP’s post—harvest fisheries project designed and tested an ice box for use on—board traditional fishing boats in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh. Seven boxes were constructed and a design made of fibre reinforced plastic and polyurethane foam was found to be suitable. Information on catches and prices was obtained from these vessels to facilitate a study of technical and financial viability.

When used for preserving high value fish (particularly seerfish), ice can increase incomes by about 20%. The increased income enables the boat owner to pay for a box within one to three years. The 350 navas in Kakinada which employ a work force of over 2,000 men constitute a potential market for ice boxes.

This paper describes the development of the ice box and the trials to determine technical and financial viability during 1988 and 1989. The project forms part of a wider programme to encourage the use of ice on—board fishing boats in the Bay of Bengal and improve the quality of fish landings.

The author would like to thank the Andhra Pradesh Fisheries Department both in Hyderabad and Kakinada for its assistance during the implementation of this project. In particular, he would like to thank Mr Swaminathan (Commissioner for Fisheries), Mr D Janardhana Rao (Director of Fisheries), and Mr Y Venkateswara Rao (Regional Deputy Director of Fisheries, Kakinada).Mr S B Sarma (Fisheries Inspector, Kakinada) provided invaluable assistance with local arrangements and the collection of data from fishermen. Special mention should be made of the co-operation from the boatyard of the APFC (Andhra Pradesh Fisheries Corporation) in Kakinada which made the ice boxes.

The work on development and trials of the ice box, and this paper which describes the work, have been sponsored by BOBP’s post—harvest fisheries project. It is executed by the Natural Resources Institute (NRI), UK, and funded by the ODA (Overseas Development Administration) of the United Kingdom.