Sea safety kit for small boat fishermen - origins and invention history

The sea safety kit for small boat fishermen, put together at SIFFS as part of its sea safety initiatives, has been adopted by two states - Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Most of the equipment in the kit is common sense, like the first aid kit, jack knife, drinking water for emergencies, battery powered lights for navigating at night and signalling but some of them have an invention history that goes as far back as 405 BC . Here are the histories of 8 pieces of safety, survival and rescue equipment recommended for use by fishermen in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.