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Conservation of marine mammals is crucial for India's seafood export, as the country must comply with the US Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), which prohibits the intentional killing of marine mammals in commercial fisheries.
This was highlighted in a workshop held at the 16th Agricultural Science Congress (ASC) on Friday. "The US is a major importer of Indian seafood, accounting for 33 per cent of the country's total exports in terms of value. If India fails to comply with the MMPA, its seafood exports to the US could be affected, impacting the livelihoods of fishermen communities", said P Anilkumar, Joint Director of Marine Products Export Development Authority, Kochi MPEDA. A Gopalakrishnan, Director of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), said that the research on marine mammals in India is based on stranding data, offshore surveys, onshore surveys, and bycatch estimates. E Vivekanandan said that research on marine mammals is a complex and challenging task, requiring the collective support of biologists, veterinarians, environmentalists, and conservationists. He added that the major focus of research on marine mammals in India is to estimate the status of the stocks, understand the correlation between environmental variables and abundance, assess the impacts of climate change, and develop conservation measures. The workshop at the ASC discussed the importance of marine mammal conservation for India's seafood export and the challenges and opportunities in conducting research on these species. The participants stressed the need for a collaborative approach to marine mammal conservation, involving all stakeholders, including government agencies, research institutions, fishermen communities, and NGOs. Dr Sijo Varghese, Zonal Director of Fishery Survey of India, Dr J Jayasankar, Dr Prajit KK, Dr Grinson George, Dr K R Sreenath and Dr R Ratheeshkumar spoke on the occasion. (ANI)
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