Bhopal, Oct 23 (IANS) India has moved into the development phase of a national action plan for inland small-scale fisheries, with a focus on livelihood improvement, enhanced coordination and better management of freshwater resources, with the proposed plan covering fisheries in rivers, canals, reservoirs, lakes, floodplain wetlands, tanks, and cold-water systems.
Speaking at the launch of the development phase on Friday, Union Department of Fisheries Secretary Abhilaksh Likhi said: “India has set a target of 30 million tonnes in fish production over the next five years, while seafood exports are expected to rise to Rs 1.25 lakh crore.”
Highlighting the sector’s current status, he said the country had achieved an annual fish production of 19.7 million tonnes, with inland fisheries contributing approximately three-fourths of this output, while seafood exports had crossed Rs 70,000 crore.
The new action plan is being developed under the framework of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). The initiative is being led by the Union Department of Fisheries in collaboration with the Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO).
The two-day national workshop in the Madhya Pradesh capital identified key priorities for developing the action plan, including a proposed programme of consultations with fishing communities and other stakeholders. Experts from fisheries institutions and stakeholders prepared a framework for the activities to be undertaken in the development phase.
Addressing the gathering, Likhi called for a mission-mode outreach programme to take India’s proposed national action plan for sustainable inland small-scale fisheries to fishing communities across the country.
“The document must translate into practical improvements in livelihoods rather than remain confined to government offices”, he said, adding that the proposed plan must prioritise sustainability amid the climate crisis and strengthen value chains to improve fishers’ income.
The Fisheries Secretary stressed that production and export growth must go hand in hand with securing the livelihoods of small-scale fishers.
On sustainability, Likhi flagged climate change and deteriorating water quality as major concerns for inland fisheries, pointing to challenges such as declining oxygen levels in water bodies. He said the plan must incorporate measures to build climate resilience, drawing on the experience of fishing communities who directly confront these challenges.
India’s diverse inland fisheries sector, with its varied ecosystems, fishing communities and region-specific challenges, could serve as a model for the FAO to collaborate, pilot region-specific approaches and take the learnings to wider geographies, he added.
Madhya Pradesh Fisheries Secretary Swantantra Kumar Singh, Joint Secretary Gunjan Krishna and FAO Project Officer Giulia Gorelli also spoke on the occasion.
–IANS
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