Puducherry, Feb 11 (IANS) Puducherry is set to host a significant international workshop on strengthening the marine fisheries value chain in the Bay of Bengal region, with Lt Governor K. Kailashnathan scheduled to inaugurate the two-day event on Thursday at Hotel Accord.
The high-level workshop comes at a crucial time when the marine fisheries sector is grappling with multiple challenges, including climate change, an increasing frequency of cyclones in the Bay of Bengal, shifting fish migration patterns and growing pressure on coastal resources.
Experts believe that these developments have directly impacted the livelihoods of thousands of small-scale fishers and coastal communities, making the need for sustainable interventions more urgent than ever before.
The event will focus on strengthening the marine fisheries value chain to ensure better income security for fishers, reduce post-harvest losses, promote value addition and build a more resilient and sustainable blue economy.
Deliberations will also explore strategies to modernise processing systems, improve cold-chain infrastructure, enhance market linkages and adopt climate-adaptive practices to safeguard the long-term future of the sector.
Puducherry has been strategically chosen as the host venue owing to its vibrant marine fishing activity and well-developed processing infrastructure.
Its proximity to major fishing hubs in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, coupled with an efficient governance framework, makes the Union Territory an ideal location for piloting scalable policy and technology interventions that could be replicated across the Bay of Bengal region.
The workshop is expected to bring together policymakers, researchers, industry leaders and international organisations to exchange ideas and best practices.
Chief Minister N. Rangasamy and Fisheries Minister K. Lakshminarayanan will also participate in the event, alongside senior officials from the Government of India.
Representatives from global and regional bodies such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO), as well as leading research institutions and seafood industry stakeholders, are slated to attend the two-day deliberations.
Organisers said that the discussions are expected to yield actionable recommendations aimed at improving sustainability, boosting fisher incomes and ensuring long-term economic stability for coastal communities across the Bay of Bengal region.
–IANS
aal/pgh