Experts at ICAR-CIFT began the nationwide campaign on ‘Fish for Health and Prosperity.’
Experts at a nationwide campaign on ‘Fish for Health and Prosperity’ emphasized the importance of fish as a healthy diet for people and in reducing societal malnutrition.
The Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (ICAR CIFT) began the campaign to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Indian independence as ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.’
Concerned about the decline of robust marine fisheries sectors, KN Raghavan, Chairman of the Marine Products Exports Development Authority (MPEDA), advised aquaculture as an emerging industry that may meet the majority of consumer demand for fish. He was speaking during the campaign’s launch.
Also Read | ICAR-CIFT & ICICI Foundation team up for rural fishery, and livelihood security.
Raghavan also emphasized the key concerns contributing to ocean starvation, which affects the lives of millions of fishermen and the supply of affordable and nutritious seafood. He urged everyone to work together to tackle these problems in order to save the Earth.
CIFT’s accomplishments are highlighted
Leela Edwin, Director of CIFT, emphasized the importance of fish intake, its current state in the country, and the nutritional value of fish. She summarised CIFT’s significant accomplishments, contributions to sustainable fishing, and role as a pioneer in fisheries company incubation.
Shivakumar Magada, Dean of the College of Fisheries in Mangalore, highlighted the efforts under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), which might lead to India producing 20 million tonnes of fish by 2025. He also praised CIFT for its foresight and outstanding contributions to fish processing and nutraceutical development.
Inequality in seafood pricing
During his discussion, he also examined pricing disparities for fish across marketplaces, as well as the minimal size of economies for fisheries entrepreneurial units in contrast to major agricultural and horticultural industries.
As policy implications, Chadag V Mohan, Principal Scientist, World Fish, Malaysia, advised the effective incorporation of aquatic items in daily meals through various initiatives.
Also Read | Necessity for fisheries industry to have an integrated structure similar to the dairy sector.
He proposed combining nutrition-sensitive fish-agri-food systems and discussed some success stories of WFC initiatives in Odisha and other areas of the world that used tiny indigenous fish to intervene in fish-based nutrition.
More than 1,200 participants from various ICAR Institutes, College of Fisheries, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVK), and other research organizations, including scientists, students, academics, researchers, extension specialists, and other stakeholders, took part in both offline and online modes.
Add Comment