Union Minister of Fishing, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala today announced that the Department of Fisheries will be organizing the Global Fisheries Conference India 2023 on November 21 and 22, 2023, in Ahmedabad on occasion of World Fisheries Day. The two-day event will bring together key stakeholders from across the globe to discuss and showcase the latest developments in the fisheries sector.
The conference will be held under the theme “Celebrate the Fisheries and Aquaculture Wealth” and will focus on the significant contributions of the fisheries sector to India’s economy and food security. Speaking at a curtain raiser press conference in New Delhi, Rupala highlighted the impressive growth of the fisheries sector in recent years, with inland fish production jumping over 2 fold in 9 years to 131 lakh tones. He attributed this growth to the concerted efforts of the Central and State Governments, as well as the hard work of fishers and fish farmers.
Rupala also unveiled the event logo, which symbolizes the Indian Fisheries Sector’s global achievements and the contributions of the fishers and fishermen communities to nation-building. He invited foreign missions, experts, government officials, think-tanks, academia, international organizations, industry associations and other key stakeholders to participate in the conference.
Dr. L Murugan, Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Information and Broadcasting, said that the conference will provide a platform for all stakeholders to come together and share ideas, information on relevant technologies and market linkage opportunities. He further highlighted that the conference will also showcase the developments and government initiatives taken in the Fisheries sector such as Sagar Parikrama, PMMSY, fisheries infrastructure etc.
The Indian Fisheries sector has been on a steady upward trajectory, and the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fishing, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, GoI has been working diligently to maintain this growth momentum. The department aims to not only achieve the PMMSY targets of 22 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) fish production but also reach Rs 1 lakh crore in exports by Financial Year (FY) 2024-25. The sector has played a crucial role in providing sustainable incomes and livelihoods to Rs 310 million fishers and fish farmers across the country.
