National Fish Farmers Meet 2023 gets Underway at Chennai 

 

The National Fish Farmers Meet 2023 was organized by Department of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying, Government of India at Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu during 10-11 July, 2023 to mark the National Fish Farmers Day (NFFD).

The NFFD is celebrated in India on 10th July annually to honour the contribution of Dr. Dr. Hiralal Chaudhury and Dr. K.H. Alikunhi in induced breeding of Indian Major Carps in 1957. 

The meeting was attended by Union and State Ministers for Fisheries, Secretaries of Department of Fisheries, fish farmers, aquapreneurs, fisher folks, officials, and scientists across the nation. 

The Meet provided a platform to share the best practices and success stories in fisheries development  among the States.  

Dr. Krishnan, Director, BOBP-IGO, participated in the meeting.

Online Workshop on Techniques in Freshwater Fish Stock Assessment

 

BOBP-IGO in collaboration with ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (ICAR-CIFRI) and National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) organized an Online Workshop on Techniques in Freshwater Fish Stock Assessment on 12 July, 2023. This Workshop was a sequel to the Management Development Programme on New Paradigm in Fish Stock Assessment organized during 25 May – 1 June, 2023 in Colombo jointly with Government of Sri Lanka. 

The participants (45 Nos) consisted of fisheries researchers from NAQDA and NARA; officials from department of fisheries and academicians from Universities in Sri Lanka. 
Dr. P. Krishnan, Director, BOBP-IGO welcomed the participants and provided an overview of the workshop. He thanked Dr. B. K. Das, Director, ICAR-CIFRI and Government of Sri Lanka for the support extended to organize the event. 

In his opening remarks, Dr. B. K. Das, Director, ICAR-CIFRI highlighted the potential areas of collaboration between the researchers in India and Sri Lanka. 

Dr. Malay Naskar, Dr. AM Sajina and Mr. Sathish K Koushlesh, scientists from ICAR-CIFRI were the resource persons for the workshop. 

Dr. P. Krishnan assured to develop a network among the researchers from India and Sri Lanka, working in the area of inland fisheries management, which will act as a knowledge sharing platform.

  
Dr. E. Vivekanandan moderated the technical sessions. Dr.  Geevika Ganegamaaachchi, ADG, NARA in her closing remarks, thanked BOBP-IGO and ICAR-CIFRI for organizing the workshop. She also looked forward to research collaborations between institutions in India and Sri Lanka.

Cooperation in Fisheries Vital for Strengthening Maritime Security BOBP the Colloquium on BIMSTEC and the Bay

 

The Nalanda International University, Bihar, India organized a Colloquium on “BIMSTEC and the Bay: Strengthening Maritime Security” on July 21, 2023 at its premises. Prof. Abhay Kumar Singh, Interim Vice Chancellor, Nalanda University welcomed the guests. Amb. C.S.R. Ram, Joint Secretary (BIMSTEC & SAARC), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India was the Chief Guest.  Vice Admiral. G. Ashok Kumar, PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd), National Maritime Security Coordinator, National Security Council Secretariat, Government of India delivered the keynote address. 

Prof. S.K. Srivastava, Vice Chancellor, Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Motihari, Bihar delivered a talk on “Mapping Security Threats to the Bay”. Prof. Sanjay Chaturvedi, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, South Asian University, New Delhi delivered a talk on “Sub-Regionalizing Maritime Security: Imperatives, Opportunities and Challenges”. 

Dr. P. Krishnan, Director, Bay of Bengal Program Inter-Governmental Organization (BOBP-IGO) addressed the gathering on “Redefining Maritime Security: Non-Conventional Threats in the Bay of Bengal in the Context of Marine Fisheries”. He emphasized the need for closer collaboration among the researchers and development professionals in the BOB rim countries so as to harness the blue economy potential of the Bay. Dr. Krishnan also held detailed discussion with the Vice Chancellor and senior faculty members of Nalanda International University on the potential areas of collaboration between the organizations.

Interaction with Faculty Members of Bihar Agricultral Univesity (BAU), Sabour

 

Dr. Krishnan, Director, BOBP-IGO visited the Bihar Agricultural University campus at Sabour, Bhagalpur during 16-19 July 2023 on invitation from Dr. D.R. Singh, Vice Chancellor of the University. He interacted with the faculty members from Bihar College of Agriculture, Sabour; Dr. APJ Kalam College of Agriculture, Kishan Ganj and College of Horticulture, Noorsarai, Nalanda.

 

As a part of his visit, a two-days faculty development workshop was organized wherein Dr. Krishnan sensitized the faculty members on the contemporary thoughts on developing grant-winning proposals; generating revenue through research; breaking the frontiers through research collaboration; building right perspectives on science communication, etc. Over 70 scientists participated in the workshop.

BOBP-IGO Participates in ADCORE- IP 2023

 

The National Centre for Coastal Research, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) in India, hosted the international workshop on Advances in Coastal Research with a Special Reference to the Indo-Pacific (AdCoRe-IP 2023) on July 21-22, 2023. This event marked the Centre's silver jubilee celebration.

 

Distinguished scientists and researchers from various countries, including India, Australia, Japan, Vietnam, Fiji, France, and Norway, attended the workshop. The agenda included several thematic sessions that addressed critical topics such as coastal protection, climate change, ocean accounting, marine pollution, and ecosystem services.

 

Representing BOBP-IGO were Mr. Rajdeep Mukherjee, Policy Analyst, and Dr. M Sri Hari, Project Scientist, who actively participated in the event. In addition, BOBP-IGO engaged in discussions with Dr. J Ahanhanzo, Secretary, IOC-UNESCO to explore potential areas of cooperation.

Dr. Y S Yadava (18 March 1953 to 30 July 2023)

 

We mourn the demise of Dr. Yugraj Singh Yadava, who dedicated his entire professional life to the cause of sustainable development and management of marine and coastal fisheries.

 

Dr. Y.S. Yadava hailed from humble beginnings in New Delhi, India and through his unwavering commitment and tireless work, rose to remarkable heights in his professional career. He acquired his Master's degree in Zoology from Kanpur University, Uttar Pradesh, 1975; PhD from Guwahati University, Assam in 1989. For his doctoral research, he delved into the realm of Fisheries Management – a subject that would define his illustrious career.

 

Over the course of four decades, Dr. Yadava held various prestigious positions. He started his career as a Scientist at ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (CIFRI); then moved on to become the Fisheries Development Commissioner, Government of India. As the BOBP Coordinator during 2000 to 2003, he played a pivotal role in transforming the Bay of Bengal Programme of the FAO into an Inter-Governmental Organisation. He served as the first Member Secretary of the Coastal Aquaculture Authority of India (CAA). Dr. Yadava also contributed his expertise to various committees established by the Department of Fisheries, Government of India for fisheries management in India.

 

Dr. Yadava dedicated considerable efforts to promoting the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (CCRF) and the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM) in the Bay of Bengal region. Firmly believing in the efficacy of community-based fisheries management, he tirelessly worked towards establishing and advancing this approach in South and Southeast Asia. He made significant contribution to enhancing the safety and security of small-scale fishers and their occupational safety – an often-overlooked aspect of fisheries management. Throughout his career, he strived to include safety as an integral part of fisheries management and advocated for improved social security measures for fishers.

 

The departure of Dr. Yugraj Singh Yadava to heavenly abode is mourned by everyone from fishers to scientists to policymakers from Asia and beyond. His enormous influence on the policy makers in the region serves as a testament to the extraordinary dedication, passion, and an unyielding commitment to a cause.