Page 2 - Fishing

Sikkim's fisheries sector thriving, has engaged over 2,000 families: CM

The fisheries sector in Sikkim is thriving, with over 2,000 families engaged in pisciculture, Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang said on Thursday. In his message on National Fish Farmers' Day, Tamang said the sector has become a significant contributor to self-employment, food security, and the local economy. The government's initiative to promote sustainable fisheries has led to the adoption of modern aquaculture technologies like Recirculatory Aquaculture Systems and biofloc, he said. "The youth of Sikkim are showing increasing interest in adopting modern aquaculture technologies, indicating a promising future for the fisheries sector. The government's plan to introduce Organic Fish Farming aligns with the state's organic vision and will create new market opportunities for farmers," he said. "The government's support for fish farmers has enabled them to emerge as torchbearers of innovation and resilience. Fish farming has become a profitable and sustainable livelihood for many, ...

No intention of ceding Katchatheevu island, says Lankan foreign minister

Sri Lanka has no intention to cede the Katchatheevu island, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said, calling the "rumblings" in India an issue between the political parties there. We have our diplomatic channels open to resolve the issue, but what is certain is Sri Lanka will never agree to let go of a part of Sri Lanka which is Katchatheevu and established so by international law," Herath on Thursday told Sirasa TV in response to a question on frequent arrests of Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan waters. Fishermen from both India and Sri Lanka are arrested frequently for inadvertently trespassing into each other's waters. India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on June 27 said the issue of Sri Lanka arresting Indian fishermen stems from an agreement during the Emergency, imposed in 1975, under which their rights for fishing in some specific areas were given up. Herath, however, brushed off the issue, saying that "rumblings" over the Katchatheevu issue are "political sparring ...

New gas project off Senegal sparks fears among local fishing communities

It's impossible to miss the gas platform off the coast of northern Senegal. Its flare stack burns day and night above the rolling breakers. The natural gas project, a joint venture between British energy giant BP and US-based Kosmos Energy, started operations on the final day of 2024. It is meant to bring jobs to the densely populated fishing community of Guet Ndar, just outside the old colonial capital of Saint Louis. The gas extraction plant, the deepest in Africa, is aimed at helping to transform Senegal's stagnant economy after the discovery just over a decade ago of oil and gas off the country's coast. The first offshore oil project also began last year. Fishermen say the project is killing their livelihoods Mariam Sow, one of the few remaining sellers in the once-thriving fish market, said the decline began in 2020 when the platform started rising from the sea. This market used to be full every day, Sow said, gesturing at the barren lot. The nearby beach is now occupied by .

PM Modi reviews fisheries sector plans with focus on deep-sea, exports

The fisheries sector in India plays a crucial role in supporting rural livelihoods and contributing to the country's national economy

Set up Indian Council for Fisheries to tap sector's full potential: Panel

The Council on Fisheries as per the Panel would not only facilitate focussed and in-depth research, but also address the challenges faced by the fishery sector

SL Navy arrests 32 Indian fishermen, seizes 5 boats for suspected poaching

The Navy has so far this year arrested 131 Indian fishermen and held 18 fishing boats for allegedly poaching in Sri Lankan waters, the statement said

Govt imposes 4 month on catching of trout fish in Himachal Pradesh

The Himachal Pradesh fisheries department on Friday imposed a four-month ban on catching trout fish in major rivers and their tributaries spread over 600 km in the state. "In order to promote the breeding of trout fish in the cold-water regions of Himachal Pradesh and to conserve this natural resource, a complete ban on trout fishing has been implemented from November 1, 2024 to February 28, 2025," Director Fisheries Vivek Chandekl said in a statement issued here. These include the Pabbar river in Shimla district, Beas, Sarvari, Parvati, Gadsa, and Sainj rivers in Kullu district, Uhal river in Mandi and Kangra districts, and Bhandal Nala in Chamba district, the statement said. Chandel said the ban is necessary to conserve trout fish during their natural breeding season, allowing for natural seed collection in reservoirs. This four-month ban will ensure the long-term preservation of Himachal Pradesh's fishery resources and boost trout fish production in the state, he added. He said

Avail finance ministry's services to boost business: FM to fisherfolks

Urging the fishing community to avail the benefits offered through the Kisan credit card, Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday said it would help boost their trade. At a BJP membership drive here, Sitharaman said members of the fishing community who's applications were rejected by banks and financial institutions, may approach her for redressal. Prime Minister Narendra Modi felt the need for a separate department to address the issues related to fisheries and therefore, a dedicated department has been set up, she said in her address. "There are a lot of schemes for the welfare of the fishermen and they can avail term loan facilities to grow their businesses." Pointing out that a dedicated Kisan Credit Card was launched by the Centre to serve farmers' community, PM Modi suggested that a similar mechanism be developed to serve those who have been traditionally engaged in ocean farming along India's coastline for several years, Sitharaman said. "It

Death of fishing labourers: Dengue, cholera rising at Goa jetty, says Rane

Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane on Thursday said there has been a rise in cases of dengue and cholera at a jetty in Cutbona village, where six fish workers died of dehydration earlier this week, and asked authorities to monitor and control the situation. The health secretary has been asked to hold review meetings with health officers to address the situation at the Cutbona jetty, located in South Goa district, Rane said in a media statement. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of fish workers, who died of dehydration on their return to the fishing jetty at Cutbona village earlier this week. Sawant paid a visit to the jetty on Wednesday along with state Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira and local MLA Cruz Silva to take stock of the situation. Rane said there has been a "rise in cases of dengue and cholera reported from the Cutbona jetty." The Directorate of Municipal Administration has been asked to cooperate with th

Fresh murder case filed against Sheikh Hasina over fish trader's death

A new murder case has been filed against Bangladesh's deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 62 others, including ex-ministers of her cabinet, over the death of a fish trader during the quota reform protests in the country, a media report said on Monday. The case, filed late on Sunday, was the latest in the slew of cases filed against the 76-year-old leader after her resignation and fleeing to India on August 5 following a massive protest by students against a quota system in government jobs. It was filed by Shahnaz Begum, the wife of Md Milon, who was shot dead on July 21 while returning home from a local fish market, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported. As many as 62 people, including Hasina, former road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader, former lawmaker Shamim Osman, and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, were named as accused in the case. According to the report, leaders and activists of the Hasina-led Awami League and its affiliated organisations armed with

Gujarat govt extends fishing ban in Arabian sea till Aug 15; Cong opposes

The Gujarat government has decided to extend the ban on fishing activities in the Arabian Sea by a fortnight till August 15, a move the Congress claimed to be "unfair and reckless" which will cause financial losses to fishermen. A senior official from the Gujarat fisheries department on Sunday said the decision was taken in consultation with the central government after considering a representation made by the fishermen's association to allow more time for fish to breed. The government also took into account scientific data and weather conditions to reach the decision, he said, adding the change is also likely to be adopted by other states on the western coast. Since 2021, the annual fishing ban in the state remained in effect from June 1 till July 31. The state fisheries department on July 31 issued a notification, amending the Gujarat Fisheries (Amendment) Rules, 2020, which stated no person shall carry out any type of fishing in the inland and territorial waters from June 1 to .

Fishing groups demand to keep fisheries' subsidy negotiations out of WTO

Ahead of the General Council meeting in Geneva, small-scale fisher groups from many countries, including India, Indonesia, and Bangladesh, have demanded that the WTO should not negotiate fisheries subsidies as the ongoing talks are 'unfair and unbalanced'. Members of the Geneva-based 166-member World Trade Organisation (WTO) after finalising a deal on curbing harmful subsidies on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, are now discussing ways to curb these support measures that are contributing to overcapacity and overfishing (OCOF). The General Council is the second highest decision-making body of the WTO after the ministerial conference (MC), which meets after every two years. The World Forum of Fisher Peoples and the World Forum of Fish Harvesters and Fish Workers have raised concerns over the current text and said that exemptions for small-scale fishers across developing countries are being restricted by imposing irrational conditionalities. "We, therefore, demand that ...

Taiwan demands release of fishing vessel, 6 crew members held by China

According to CGA, the fishing vessel was about 10 km away from the province's shores at the time of interception

Share of crops declines; livestock and fishing up in agri GVO: NSO

Share of fruits, vegetables has risen from 24.1 per cent to 28.2 per cent between 2011-12 and 2022-23

No moratorium on repayment of loans during trawling ban period: Kerala govt

The Kerala government on Wednesday made it clear that no moratorium has been granted on repayment of loans availed by fishermen during the time of the ongoing 52-day-long trawling ban imposed in state waters. However, several measures, including free rations, were given to the fishermen's families during the trawling ban period from June 10 to July 31, state Fisheries Minister Saji Cheriyan told the state assembly. He was replying to a question raised by MLA E K Vijayan (CPI-M) during the Question Hour. The fishermen, who use mechanised vessels, and those engaged in other related work in the sector lost jobs during the ban, and they are being given free rations, the minister said. Under the financial relief scheme, those fishermen, who are members of their welfare fund board, would get assistance of Rs 4,500 during this time. Of this, Rs 1500 each is contributed by the union and state governments and the rest is the share of beneficiaries, he noted. While replying to a question,

9 pirates being brought to India, says Navy after rescuing Iranian vessel

A day after rescuing a hijacked Iranian fishing vessel and its 23-member Pakistani crew under an anti-piracy operation at sea, the Indian Navy on Saturday said the nine surrendered pirates are being brought to India for further legal action. The legal action will be taken against them under the Maritime Anti-Piracy Act, 2022. The Indian Navy's specialist teams have completed sanitisation and seaworthiness checks of fishing vessel Al-Kambar, according to a statement shared by the Navy's spokesperson. "The crew, comprising 23 Pakistani nationals, were given a thorough medical checkup prior to clearing the boat to continue with her fishing activities," it said. The Indian Navy on Friday had rescued the hijacked Iranian fishing vessel and its crew, after more than 12 hours of "intense coercive tactical measures" as part of the anti-piracy operation. The hijacked vessel was intercepted on Thursday, the Navy said on Friday. "INS Sumedha intercepted FV 'Al Kambar' during early hours of

India's annual per capita fish consumption jumps 81% during 2005-21

India's annual per capita fish consumption increased to 8.89 kg in 2021 from 4.9 kg in 2005, indicating changes in dietary mix driven by higher income and rising prosperity, according to a study. Among fish-eating populations, per capita annual fish consumption increased from 7.43 kg to 12.33 kg, an increase of 4.9 kg (66 per cent). The study was conducted by WorldFish, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in association with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and other government bodies. The timeframe for this study was 2005-2006 to 2019-2021. During the 2005-2021 period, the country's fish production jumped over twofold to 14.164 million tonnes, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.63 per cent. Out of the total fish output, the domestic consumption of fish accounted for 82.36 per cent in 2005-2006, 86.2 per cent in 2015-2016 and 83.65 per cent in 2019-2020. The rest was used for non-food purposes and exports. The study noted that the

Maldives seeks info over Indian coast guard activities within its territory

The Maldives' government has formally requested the Indian government to provide "comprehensive details" of an incident in which its coast guard personnel allegedly boarded three Maldivian fishing vessels operating within its economic zone. The development is the latest in the diplomatic row between the two nations that led to the strain in bilateral ties after President Mohamed Muizzu, widely seen as a pro-China leader, came to power in November last year in the Maldives. There was no immediate response from the Indian government to the Maldivian allegations. On January 31, the Indian Army intercepted a Maldivian fishing boat engaged in fishing activities within the Maldives' Special Economic Zone (EEZ), located 72 nautical miles northeast of Dhidhdhoo, Haa Alifu Atoll, the Maldives' defence ministry claimed in a statement on Friday. It said that the Indian troops boarded three fishing boats within the Maldives EEZ without prior consultation with relevant authorities, thereby ...

Navy foils piracy attempt on cargo vessel along east coast of Somalia

The Indian Navy foiled a piracy attempt on an Iranian-flagged, fishing vessel along the East coast of Somalia, officials said on Friday. Indian warship INS Sharda came to the rescue of the vessel FV Omaril with 11 Iranian and eight Pakistani crew members after it came under attack from pirates, they said. "FV Omaril, an Iranian-fagged vessel, had been boarded by seven pirates who had taken the crew as hostages," Indian Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said. INS Sharda intercepted the vessel in early hours of Friday and used her integral helo and boats to coerce the pirates for safe release of crew along with the vessel, he said. The ship has ensured successful release of the 11 Iranian and eight Pakistani crew members, he said. "The ship also undertook confirmatory boarding on FV Omari to sanitise and check on the well-being of the crew who had been held captive by the Somali pirates," Madhwal said. "Relentless efforts by Indian Naval platforms, mission deployed for ...

Six Indian fishermen detained by Lankan navy, 2nd incident within a week

According to the Sri Lankan Navy, the fishermen were allegedly involved in 'illegal poaching' and were detained off the Kovilan Lighthouse in Kareinagar after a special operation on Wednesday