NITI Aayog hosted National Workshop on “Harnessing the Potential of Fisheries in Marine States”
NITI Aayog hosted a National Workshop on “Harnessing Potential of Fisheries in Marine States” on 5th January 2024 in collaboration with Government of Kerala and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) – Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) in Kochi, Kerala. The event is an initiative under State Support Mission.
The one-day workshop brought together the key stakeholders from central and state governments, researchers, industry representatives and practitioners and deliberated upon critical aspects of realizing India’s vast marine fisheries promise across the domains of sustainability, market linkages and addressing ground challenges.
While delivering the keynote address, Vice Chairman NITI Aayog Shri Suman Bery said, ‘Technology is going to be an important driver for Viksit Bharat 2047’. He explained the role of NITI Aayog and emphasised on working with the States towards Viksit Bharat 2047.
Member NITI Aayog Prof. Ramesh Chand applauded the achievement of Andhra Pradesh in fisheries sector and emphasised on the need to address the regional disparities in terms of production and productivity in marine fisheries.
The workshop witnessed progressive discussions on sectoral issues that require addressing policy constraints, bridging capacity gaps and enhancing participation – all crucial to achieve marine fisheries’ full growth potential as a mass-employment generator and foreign exchange earner for India.
The four Technical Sessions of the workshop focused on pressing issues like sustainability practices, export competitiveness, infrastructure gaps and livelihood challenges facing India’s marine fishing industry across states. Coastal states namely Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Goa and Odisha shared their best practices which can be scaled up. The workshop also focussed on certification and sustainability in the marine sector highlighting policy gaps and initiatives. The expected outcomes include identifying the key issues and gaps hampering progress of the sector, recommendations for addressing sustainability, marketing, and technological aspects and strategies for upgraded safety & infrastructure and enhancing stakeholders’ synergy.