Underlining India’s efforts to strengthen its fisheries data management system, Union Fisheries Secretary Shri Abhilaksh Likhi has confirmed the government will soon deliver an onboard electronic observer system for the remote monitoring and recording of marine fish catches. The move is aimed at providing accurate scientific data for stock assessment and management by observing fishing operations across various vessel types, he said.
The Fisheries Secretary was speaking after inaugurating a five-day global workshop on species identification organised by the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) and Fishery Survey of India (FSI).
Electronic monitoring and efficient data collection on tuna and tuna-like fish catches and fishing activities are critical to improve the management of these fisheries in accordance with the IOTC guidelines, which mandates observer coverage and electronic monitoring.
The e-observer is being developed by the FSI, under the Fisheries Ministry.
Apart from a conservation tool, science-backed credible data is India’s strongest defence against non-tariff barriers and allegations, the secretary said. “It is the passport that secures our access to international markets and protects our fishers and exporters from trade challenges by ensuring them a level playing field in export markets.”
On the government’s intervention in this direction the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), the Secretary said that nearly 36,000 fishing vessels have been equipped with transponders for real-time monitoring.
Flagging concerns about the existing global quota allocation system for commercial tuna fishing, Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) Director Dr Grinson George stressed the need for revising the system to ensure a higher, unbiased quota for developing nations like India.
He highlighted the need for a well-developed cold chain infrastructure to boost tuna export, saying that this would enable the preservation of tuna quality, reduce spoilage, and increase the competitiveness of Indian tuna in the global market.
Fisheries experts and officials from 12 nations, including Japan, France, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and South Africa and 18 officials from various coastal states of India attended the workshop.
