Technologies used in the fisheries sector should help in sustainable development and be internationally acceptable, Union minister of state for commerce Jairam Ramesh said here on Monday.
He was speaking after inaugurating Network for Fish Quality Management and Sustainable Fishing (NETFISH), a society formed by the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA).
Oceans are over fished and the global community is concerned about sustaining the fisheries resources, he said. In future only those countries that practice sustainable fisheries will have access to developed markets and international retail chains.
NETFISH is expected to help MPEDA in capacity building in quality management at the grass roots level by networking with fishermen societies, federations and other non-governmental organizations. “The society will also give MPEDA the required flexibility in recruitment and policies to effectively reach the fishermen who feel left out of MPEDA programmes,” he said.
Indian seafood exports is dominated by shrimps and there should be a conscious effort to increase the share of other products, he said. MPEDA has identified great potential for tuna exports and is currently working to increase the share of tuna in the total exports, he said.