New Delhi, 26 August (H.S.): India and Seychelles held a high-level bilateral meeting to strengthen strategic cooperation in fisheries, aquaculture and the blue economy. The Indian delegation was led by Secretary Dr. Abhilaksh Likhi, while Seychelles was represented by Wallace Cosgrow, Minister for Fisheries, Agriculture and Blue Economy.

According to the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, the meeting, held on Tuesday, saw both sides review existing frameworks, explore new avenues of cooperation and agree to develop a concrete roadmap for the sustainable utilisation of marine resources.

Welcoming the Seychelles delegation, the Indian side highlighted the deep maritime partnership between the two countries and reaffirmed India’s commitment to expanding technical cooperation with Seychelles in fisheries, aquaculture, scientific research and capacity building.

During the discussions, both sides identified fisheries and the blue economy as key pillars of economic growth, rural employment and sustainable development. The Indian delegation said the country’s annual fish production had reached 19.7 million tonnes, while exports of marine products stood at USD 8.46 billion. India also shared its initiatives focused on sustainable fisheries management, responsible exploitation of marine resources and the development of technology-driven infrastructure.

The meeting explored opportunities for joint development in areas including marine aquaculture, modern hatcheries, tuna fisheries optimisation, stock assessment, advanced post-harvest engineering and marine conservation.

The two sides also discussed potential collaboration in fisheries data systems, monitoring mechanisms and artificial intelligence-based management. Particular emphasis was placed on tuna processing, product diversification and sustainable waste management.

Seychelles expressed its interest in entering into a dedicated bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors and stressed the need for sustained dialogue through an institutional framework.

The meeting also saw both sides agree on capacity building through mutual support, technical exchanges and cooperation between centres of excellence.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar