India committed to maintain balance between fishing performance and minimizing negative impact: Union Fisheries Secretary

Kochi, Feb 13 (PTI) India is committed to maintaining a balance between improving the fishing performance and minimising its negative impacts, Union Fisheries Secretary Jatindra Nath Swain said on Monday.

Inaugurating a five-day international symposium on innovations in fishing technologies for sustainable and resilient fisheries here, Swain said India was working on maximising the net revenue from fisheries through 'value conservation, value capture and value creation.' "The government is also committed to maintain a balance between improving the fishing performance and minimising its negative impacts," he said, adding that policies and legal provisions are primarily focused on low-impact fishing.

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.

According to him, this will ensure not only a better economics for the sector but contribute to ecological sustainability also.

The top fisheries official also said that appropriate technologies are crucial in maintaining sustainability in the marine fisheries sector of the country, adding that improved gear management practices would help protect and promote the interest of small-scale fisheries sector, reduce by-catch, manage ghost fishing and mitigate climate change.

"Assimilation of latest technologies for fuel efficiency like in the case of dual-fuel hybrid fishing vessels would bring down fishing cost, a need of the hour for small-scale fishers in India. Choice of fishing technology plays a crucial role in determining the outcome of the fishing," he said.

The symposium is being organised 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).

Around 250 participants from 30 countries are attending the event and there will be witness over 80 technical sessions on various themes such as active fishing gear, passive fishing gear, ghost fishing nets, etc. PTI RRT SS SS