Advancing Sustainability: Insights from Workshop on the Blue Economy Regime

The researchers in India will concentrate on small pelagic fisheries, including oil sardines, mackerels, and anchovies. The initiative will concentrate on increasing the profitability of the marine fishery sector as well as the socioeconomic condition of fishermen.

Developing climate-resilient fisheries has also been listed as a priority. The workshop was co-hosted by Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS), the University of Plymouth in the United Kingdom, and the Ocean University of Sri Lanka. M. Rosalind George, Vice Chancellor at KUFOS, officially opened the session.

The organizers predicted that the blue economy regime would result in carrier vessel technological upgrades, species-specific and gear-specific possible fisheries zone alerts, vessel-specific sea state advisories, and the establishment of a robust marketing plan.

The plan would also include training programmes in post-processing, hygiene, value-addition, navigational skills, communication skills, e-marketing, and entrepreneur development. KUFOS, the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, and Karnataka University will be the project's Indian partners.

The United Nations defines Blue Economy as a variety of economic activities relating to oceans, seas, and coastal areas, as well as whether or not these activities are sustainable and socially equitable. Sustainable fishing, ocean health, wildlife, and pollution reduction are all significant aspects of the Blue Economy.

The Nansen Environmental Research Centre India, the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, and the Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology will also collaborate on the plan, which is set to begin in 2024, according to the organizers.