Kerala Tourism’s ₹2.40-crore project to renovate the 11 Chinese fishing nets at Fort Kochi remains unfinished with just six months before the tourist season starts. The delay is worrying, as visitors may miss seeing the famous nets in action once again. The project, aimed at upgrading Fort Kochi’s look, is stuck because of delays in replacing wooden logs, nets, and other parts. A net operator said, "The project could have been completed at least two years ago but for bureaucratic red tape that held up the payment of just over ₹5 lakh to a team of workers who undertook preparatory renovation work under challenging conditions." Sebastian Kurishinkal, president of the Fort Kochi Chinese Net Owners’ Association, hopes Kerala Tourism and KITCO will speed up fund release and material procurement. He warned, "Otherwise, the long forest teak logs and other wooden materials stacked near the beach may get damaged. The nets readied by Matsyafed over a year ago also face similar risks." The delay affects more than 100 fishermen who operate the nets. Each net needs 12 fishermen working in two shifts. Kurishinkal added, "We hope the necessary funds are released and materials procured at least this month, as the model code of conduct for the Assembly elections, which is expected soon, could further delay the process." Kerala Tourism sources said the delay happened because the administrative sanction for the project had to be reissued in December 2025. This required signing fresh agreements. Steps are now underway to hand over the nets to operators and renovate the fishing platforms. Meanwhile, many operators have replaced damaged teak logs with iron pipes, which hurts the traditional look of the Chinese fishing nets.