Call for measures for sustainability of sheries sector
Experts attending the daylong deliberations under the sheries improvement programme on Saturday at the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (Kufos) discussed, among other issues, the need for uniform measures to ensure sustainability of sheries resources on which several millions of people along India’s coast depended for a living.
Conservation steps
State governments have adopted several measures with a positive attitude towards conservation of sheries resources for future generations. These measures include shing holidays and ban on shing during monsoon season, prescription on minimum legal size, and restrictions on addition of vessel capacity. However, there are dierences of opinion on issues such as dening a vessel size as big or small, traditional, or non-traditional. There are also States that have frozen the addition of new vessels, while there are those without such restrictions.
The prevalence of dierent rules governing the sheries sector, especially the marine capture sector, lead to inequalities in sharing the precious resources as the sector is the only source of income for several million people in the country both directly and indirectly.
The one-day meet was organised by Kufos and Indian Marine Ingredients Association. K.C. Veeranna, Vice-Chancellor of the Karnataka Veterinary Animal and Fisheries Sciences University, representatives of the Marine Products Export Development Authority, o¢cials from the departments of Fisheries in Kerala, Goa, and Karnataka, seafood exporters, delegation of sh meal makers, scientists, and other stakeholders attended the discussions.
Dr. Veeranna stressed the importance of sh as a source of food and nutrition security and the need to sustain the sheries sector. Conservation of pelagic resources like Indian mackerels and oil sardines also came under focus during the discussions.