New Delhi
On World Fisheries Day (WFD) 2024, the Centre’s Department of Fisheries will launch several initiatives to boost sustainable growth in the fisheries sector. This year’s theme, India’s Blue Transformation: Strengthening Small-Scale and Sustainable Fisheries, underscores the importance of small-scale fisheries and their role in economic and food security, according to an official statement on Wednesday.
Key schemes to be launched include the 5th Marine Fisheries Census for better data-driven policymaking, the National Plan of Action on Sharks for sustainable shark management, and the Bay of Bengal-Regional Plan of Action on IUU (illegal, unregulated, and unreported) Fishing. Additionally, the IMO-FAO GloLitter Partnership Project will focus on combating marine plastic waste, and new guidelines for energy-efficient marine fishing fuels will be introduced.
The event, hosted at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in Delhi, will be attended by Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Minister of State George Kurian, and Manuel Barange of the FAO. The event will also see the launch of the New Single Window System by the Coastal Aquaculture Authority for online registration of coastal aquaculture farms. An MoU for a Voluntary Carbon Market framework will also be signed to promote carbon-sequestering practices in fisheries.
Two technical sessions will address sustainable development and climate change’s impact on fisheries, with experts discussing solutions like carbon credits and plastic management. India, the second-largest fish producer globally, has made significant investments in the sector through initiatives like the Blue Revolution and PM Matsya Sampada Yojana, totaling Rs 38,572 crore since 2015.
