Tarun Karthick
Campbell Bay, 22 November 2024
The Department of Fisheries, A&N Administration, marked World Fisheries Day with a special event at the Fisheries Training Centre, Marine Hill, aligning with the national theme ‘India’s Blue Transformation: Strengthening Small Scale and Sustainable Fisheries’. Mr. Vishwendra, DANICS, Secretary (Fisheries), graced the occasion as the chief guest.
During his address, Mr. Vishwendra highlighted recent advancements in Mariculture, Brackish Water Aquaculture, and Cold Chain sectors in the Islands. He emphasized the importance of involving small-scale fishermen and fish farmers in the implementation of fisheries and aquaculture policies to foster entrepreneurship and enhance income generation. He also shared a proposal for creating a Modern Fish Market and Cold Chain infrastructure for the Dignabad fishing community, with plans for replicating the model across other areas.
Ms. Jagtap Kalyani Rajendra, DANICS, Director of Fisheries, welcomed the attendees and underscored the significance of celebrating World Fisheries Day. She elaborated on the department’s recent initiatives aimed at supporting the small-scale fishermen community, particularly through various Government of India financial schemes designed to uplift the community and set up essential fishing and aquaculture infrastructure to promote direct seafood export from the Islands.
The event saw the felicitation of exceptional contributors in the field of fisheries and aquaculture. Awards were presented in various categories, including best performing fisherman, best performing fish farmers, top fish traders, leading fisheries entrepreneurs, and outstanding field-level officials of the Department of Fisheries. Mr. Vishwendra congratulated the awardees and encouraged them to scale up their activities, considering the vast fisheries potential and the growing scope for direct seafood exports from the Islands.
Mr. S.U. Maheshwar Rao, Governing Body Member of the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) in Hyderabad, expressed his gratitude for the department’s ongoing support in improving the livelihoods of the local fishermen community. The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. K. Gopal, Joint Director (Fisheries).
This celebration of World Fisheries Day underscored the government’s commitment to strengthening the fisheries sector and supporting the local fishing community in the A&N Islands.