The union minister of state for fisheries, L. Murugan, headlined our mission to achieve a valued fishery export of one hundred thousand crore by the end of 2024 during the III WORLD OCEAN SCIENCE CONGRESS—WOSC 2024 Sustainable Utilization of Oceans in Blue Economy program. Murugan reminded us that India has already achieved its leadership in shrimp industry exports among other maritime products, and it is the 4th largest marine product exporter globally. Therefore, he said, it can now assume even greater progress in the seafood sector.
On the final day, Murugan, who had a major role in this regard, emphasized sustainable fisheries, keeping fishermen’s interests at the top of the priority list. He talked about the renewed center’s attempts to expand aquaculture and seaweed harvesting, implying different massive schemes to sustainably manage natural resources in the ocean. For distinguished scientist Mr. Shailesh Nayak, who serves as the Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, a regular assessment of the annual stock of open ocean fish, encompassing sardines and mackerels, among others, has become necessary due to the ever-changing causes behind environmental issues.
Nayak predicted that northward migration of fish species would become essential and, hence, the need for flexible approaches was a matter of time. Moreover, the messages of the science congress also proved that fishing practices and the health of the ecosystem have a very firm connection. The experts stressed how mangroves, corals, and sea grasses play the role of the forces of nature and are supporting life in the seas. Sachin Chathurvedi, the Director General of the RIS, talked about the lack of inclusiveness of the global negotiations influencing small and medium-scale fishers, which is a big gap that needs to be filled.
Environmental safety, food safety, and health and culture have been the key components that are highlighted in his speech on unveiling marine-based tourism in the islands that can enhance marine resources and market access for the island nations. Overall, India’s aim of better seafood exports is an indicator of its efforts to use sea power in a sustainable way to maintain the flow of growth while protecting the sea for generations to come.
Source-THE HINDU
