Fisheries

The minister said that the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI)has recently assessed the status of fish stocks of major commercial fish species in the Indian waters. As per the studies on fish stocks, it is revealed that the stocks are in good health and 91.1 per cent of the 135 fish stocks evaluated in different regions during 2022 were found sustainable.

The gulper shark controversy in the Maldives encapsulates a broader global tension: how to steward oceanic biodiversity amid competing economic interests. For a nation once celebrated as a conservation pioneer, the unfolding debate raises hard questions about identity, priorities and legacy.

With 2026 designated the Year of Water, Blue Davos seeks to shift perceptions – elevating water from a peripheral issue to a core developmental and economic priority.

The initiative’s cornerstone is the Training and Capacity Building Programme Calendar prepared by the National Fisheries Development Board in coordination with Indian Council of Agricultural Research fisheries institutes.

The minister said that the government is also pursuing new free trade agreements and working to improve the utilisation of existing FTAs.

Microplastic sampling yielded sobering insights, with concentrations averaging 1.2 particles per cubic meter in surface waters – double the 2020 baseline.

If the Maldivian government delivers as pledged, Olhuvelifushi could become a model island for infrastructure upgrade, climate adaptation and community uplift in the Indian Ocean region.

Indian agriculture is at a turning point, under the double pressure of having to feed a rising population while being internationally competitive.