Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 22 November 2025
The ICAR–Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), North & Middle Andaman, in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries, Fisheries Sub-Station Billiground, observed World Fisheries Day 2025 at the Fish Landing Centre in Betapur on Friday. This year’s celebration centered on the theme “India’s Blue Transformation: Strengthening Value Addition in Seafood Exports.”
The event was inaugurated by Er. Manoj Kumar, SMS (Agricultural Engineering), ICAR-KVK, who underscored the significance of World Fisheries Day as a platform to promote sustainable fisheries and to recognize the contribution of the fishing community to the nation’s food and nutritional security.
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Subam Debroy, SMS (Fisheries Science), highlighted the urgent need to adopt eco-friendly fishing practices to prevent overexploitation of marine resources. He stressed compliance with recommended mesh sizes and monsoon fishing bans, ensuring fish populations have the opportunity to breed and replenish. He further encouraged a shift towards aquaculture as a sustainable, scalable solution to meet growing global food demand while safeguarding marine biodiversity.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Rakesh Dawar, SMS (Agronomy), encouraged fishermen to utilize the initiatives and schemes provided by the fisheries sector to enhance their livelihoods and adopt resource-efficient practices.
Fisheries Inspector Mr. Sanjib Kumar Sutradhar welcomed participants and discussed post-harvest handling and value-added opportunities in the fisheries sector. He urged fishermen to make the most of Government schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana to improve income generation, strengthen sustainability and build resilience in the industry.
The programme was organized under the overall guidance of Dr. Jai Sunder, Director (Acting), ICAR-CIARI, Port Blair. Around 30 fishermen participated and benefitted from the awareness sessions.
