Sri Vijaya Puram | January 09, 2026
A capacity building programme series on “Sustainable Fishing Practices: Balancing Conservation and Livelihoods in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands”, jointly organised by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Sri Vijaya Puram, and the Department of Fisheries, Andaman & Nicobar Administration, was inaugurated recently at the Fisheries Training Centre, Marine Hill.
The awareness programme series, scheduled from January 7 to January 24, is being conducted at various Fish Landing Centres across the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The initiative aims to sensitise stakeholders in the fisheries sector, including fishermen, the general public and college students, on sustainable fisheries development. Resource persons from the Department of Fisheries, Fishery Survey of India (FSI) and the Zoological Survey of India are leading sessions on conservation-oriented fishing practices and responsible resource management.
Ms. Jagtap Kalyani Rajendra, Director (Fisheries), attended the inaugural programme as the chief guest. In her address, she highlighted the significance of policy frameworks such as community quotas, marine protected areas, eco-labelling and the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (CCRF) in effective fisheries management. She encouraged stakeholders to actively participate in fisheries conservation and adopt community-driven solutions to address challenges such as overfishing and habitat degradation. Dr. K. Gopal, Joint Director, Department of Fisheries, also addressed the gathering.
Dr. Mrinal Kumar Das, Scientist ‘D’, ZSI, delivered a presentation on the “Status of Fisheries”, covering scheduled species under the Wildlife Protection laws and providing an overview of the rich fish diversity of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, including endemic and threatened marine species crucial for biodiversity conservation and fisheries sustainability.
Dr. C. Babu, Fisheries Scientist, FSI, spoke on suitable fisheries practices under the Wildlife Protection Act. Mr. Nesnas E.A., Assistant Fisheries Development Officer (AFDO), elaborated on sustainable fisheries practices in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) under the 2025 guidelines, stressing the importance of regulated trawling depths, vessel monitoring systems, bycatch reduction, regulation of mesh size, and a gradual shift from coastal fisheries to EEZ-based fishing.
The EIACP-ZSI team also briefed participants on the objectives and scope of the programme. The training series will be organised across seven locations in Middle and South Andaman to ensure wider outreach. Students from the Marine Biology Division of Pondicherry University, Brookshabad, along with fishermen representatives, attended the inaugural programme.
