Govt working on maximising net revenue from fisheries: Union fisheries secy

India is working on maximising the net revenue from fisheries through 'value conservation, value capture and value creation', said secretary to the Department of Fisheries, Jatindra Nath Swain, on Monday.

"This will not only ensure better economics for the sector but also contribute to ecological sustainability," he added while speaking to reporters after inaugurating a five-day international symposium on innovations in fishing technologies for sustainable and resilient fisheries here on Monday.

He further said the government is also committed to maintaining a balance between improving fishing performance and minimising its negative impact.

"Policies and legal provisions are primarily focused on low-impact fishing. The pressure of fish stocks in near-shore waters have made us think of improving the situation by exploring resources in the high-seas," Swain said.

The top fisheries official added that appropriate technologies are crucial in maintaining sustainability in the marine fisheries sector of the country.

He said the choice of fishing technology plays a crucial role in determining the outcome of fishing.

"Assimilation of latest technologies for fuel efficiency, like in dual-fuel hybrid, would bring down the fishing cost. This is the need of the hour for small-scale fishers in India," Swain said.

He added that the country is moving towards the Blue Economy approach focusing on diversifying ocean uses and conserving ecosystem health.

"However, technological and policy innovations such as deep-sea fishing, mariculture, sea ranching, and deployment of artificial reefs are necessary to achieve this," he added.

The symposium is being organized by the Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO), the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), and national fisheries institutions on the occasion of the 23rd annual meeting of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) -FAO Joint Working Group on Fishing Technology and Fish Behaviour (ICES-FAO WGFTFB).

Featuring 250 participants from 30 countries, the 5-day event will witness over 80 technical sessions on various themes such as active fishing gear, passive fishing gear, ghost fishing nets, etc.

A dialogue on the development of a regional marine fisheries platform for the Bay of Bengal region will also be held on Tuesday on the side-line of the symposium.

An official statement said the event will also seen discussions on the formation of a regional network to address issues such as climate change, marine pollution, overfishing, and habitat degradation and strengthen the Blue Economy in the region.