BOBP-IGO PITCHES FOR STRONG REGIONAL COOPERATION IN THE 4TH BAY OF BENGAL MARITIME DIALOGUE

 

The Fourth Bay of Bengal Maritime Dialogue, co-hosted by the #Pathfinder_Foundation and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), was held at Colombo, Sri Lanka during 7th and 8th May 2024. Amb. Indra Mani Pandey, Secretary General, BIMSTEC was the Guest of Honour.

 

The Dialogue brought together diplomats, experts, and researchers from the Bay of Bengal Rim countries and beyond to provide a platform for informal discussions on maritime affairs in the Bay of Bengal, identify new avenues for regional collaboration, and address potential challenges to constructive engagement among littoral states. Key topics included maritime governance, crisis management, disaster management, and sustainable fisheries.

 

Dr. P. Krishnan, Director, BOBP-IGO, delivered a lead talk titled "Transboundary Fisheries Management in the Bay of Bengal: From Cooperation to Action," emphasizing the need for collaboration in managing shared fish stocks. Dr. Krishnan highlighted that over 50% of South Asian and more than 60% of Southeast Asian fish stocks are shared, underscoring the necessity of collaborative management. He emphasized the importance of initiatives like the Bay of Bengal Stock Assessment Network (BOB-SAN) and BIMSTEC-India Marine Research Network (BIMReN) in strengthening marine science research and collaborative stock assessment.

 

The proposal from BOBP to establish a research vessel network in the region was well received. BOBP committed to prepare a roadmap for the same, jointly with HD. Amb. Venu Rajamony moderated the session.

BOBP AND TNNLU JOIN HANDS TO ADDRESS CAPACITY NEEDS IN FISHERIES LAW AND POLICY

 

BOBP signed an MoU with Tamil Nadu National Law University (TNNLU), Thiruchirapalli in order to bridge a crucial gap of strengthening legal literacy among the professionals engaged in fisheries governance in the BOB region.

 

A brainstorming session was held on 10 May 2024 at the University. Dr. V. Nagaraj, Vice Chancellor, TNNLU along with senior University officials and Director BOBP-IGO held detailed discussions on the capacity needs and the academic and training programs that can be offered jointly by the partnering organizations.

 

Recognizing the heightened need, it was decided that a PG Diploma program in Fisheries Law and Policy will be initiated from this year and offered in hybrid mode with required flexibility to enable participation of potential students from BOBP member countries as well. The possibility of designing an Executive Development Program (EDP) targeting the senior officials in the government was also discussed.

 

Dr. N. Felix, VC, #TNJFU also participated in the discussion and highlighted that steps will be taken to integrate a PhD Program in this area under the aegis of TNJFU jointly with BOBP and TNNLU.

BOBP PARTICIPATES IN ICSP 17 AT UN HQ

 

The Seventeenth round of the Informal Consultations of States Parties (ICSP 17) to the United Nations Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks (UNFSA) on the theme of “Sustainable fisheries management in the face of climate change” is held at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 15 to 17 May 2024.

 

Dr. Krishnan, Director is attending the meeting and would be presenting a talk on “Impacts of climate change on shared fisheries resources and management responses in Indian Ocean” in the side event organized by FAO on “Mainstreaming climate change into international fisheries governance: The case of regional fisheries bodies”.

ROLE OF RFBs IN INTEGRATING CLIMATE CHANGE IN FISERIES MANAGEMENT HIGHLIGHTED IN ICSP-17 AT UN HQ

 

A Panel Discussion on “Mainstreaming climate change into international fisheries governance: The case of regional fisheries bodies” was held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 16 May 2024 (today). The event, organized by the FAO, aimed to discuss the role of RFBs in addressing the impacts of climate change on transboundary fisheries management, highlighting ongoing efforts, and exploring the potential for regional coordination frameworks.

 

Dr. Krishnan, Director, BOBP-IGO presented a talk on “Impacts of climate change on shared fisheries resources and management responses in Indian Ocean”. He presented an overview of the activities of the RFBs in the IO region and the key lessons learnt towards integrating climate change in management advice. He highlighted the crucial role of the lower middle-income countries in the region in ocean management, owing to their significant share in the marine fisheries production.

 

“As the Indian Ocean has experienced a significant basin-wide surface warming since the 20th century, the RFBs have a significant role to build capacity in the countries towards tracking the impact of climate change on the fisheries resources and in integrating CC in their management advice”, Dr. Krishnan said. He highlighted the new collaboration frameworks developed by BOBP and their plans to undertake a regional study on the climate impacts on fisheries.

 

The FAO Panel Discussion was held in the sidelines of the Seventeenth round of the Informal Consultations of States Parties (ICSP 17) to the United Nations Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks (UNFSA) on the theme of “Sustainable fisheries management in the face of climate change” held at UN Headquarters in New York from 15 to 17 May 2024.

BOBP MOURNS THE DEMISE OF MR. AHMED HAFIZ

 

It is with profound sadness that we at the BOBP-IGO extend our deepest condolences on the passing of Mr. Ahmed Hafiz, the former Director General of the Marine Research Center of Maldives.

 

A visionary leader and a founding pillar of the BOBP, Mr. Hafiz's unwavering dedication and contributions to fisheries research and management have left an enduring legacy in the Bay of Bengal region. His tireless efforts and wisdom have inspired generations of researchers and policymakers, and his impact will continue to shape our work.

 

We fondly remember his presence at the signing ceremony of BOBP in 2003, where his commitment to collaborative efforts in sustainable fisheries and marine conservation was clearly evident.

 

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, loved ones, and the people of Maldives during this difficult time.

 

May his legacy continue to inspire us to strive for a better future.

 

Photo courtesy: Mr. Adam Manik

EXPERTS MEET AT BOBP-IGO TO REVIEW INDIA’S READINESS TO IMPLEMENT ECOSYSTEM APPROACH

 

The BOBP-IGO is carrying out a review of India’s readiness to implement Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries from policy and legal perspective under the BOBLME-II Project. The study is based on an FAO methodology developed under the NANSEN Programme.

 

To review the preliminary findings from the study, an Expert Meet was organized at the BOBP-IGO HQ from 30-31 May 2024. Eminent experts from India, namely, Dr. P Paul Pandian, former Fishery Development Commissioner of India, Dr. Sunil Mohammed, Chair, Sustainable Seafood Network of India; and Prof. S. Amirthalingam from Tamil Nadu National Law University (TNNLU) attended along with Dr, P Krishnan, Director, BOBP-IGO; Dr. E Vivekanandan, Dr. R. Soundararajan, and Mr R Mukherjee, International consultants of the BOBP-IGO and Ms. Sakshi Venkateswaran, the researcher.

 

At the outset, Dr Krishnan explained the background and scope of the study. He said that FAO has published report on EAF preparedness of Bangladesh, Maldives and Sri Lanka which were part of the NANSEN programme. The BOBP-IGO is complementing the effort by doing the study in India under the BOBLME-II project. The study will not only help in achieving the objectives of the BOBLME-II project but will also contribute to the completing the regional picture in respect of EAF readiness. This approach is crucial for implementing effective ecosystem-based management strategies in fisheries, aiming to integrate ecological and human dimensions of resource management.

 

The expert group reviewed over 30 policy and legal documents against a set of filtering questions following FAO methodology. The preliminary results indicate that India has sound basis for moving towards EAF. However, streamlining is required in some aspect such as development of fisheries management plan and targeted research. The expert group also observed the complexity in India due to its federal structure and highlighted the need for alignment of inter-state policies and Union-state policies for better implementation of EAFM. The expert group further noted that there is a strong need for a fisheries law for managing waters beyond territorial limits which can address various emerging challenges in fisheries management in India.