India proposes seaweed solution to more resilient fisheries

Fishermen preparing a fishing net before going to the deep sea in Kochi. Representational Pic/Getty Images

To address the looming threat of climate change on fisheries, India on Saturday proposed substantial reduction of carbon footprint as a significant step towards climate resilient fisheries. On Saturday, the first session of the sub-committee on Fisheries Management under the Committee on Fisheries (COFI) of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) was organised in Kochi.

India was represented at the global body by ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) and Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying. "CO2 emission per kg of fish caught in India's marine fisheries is 17.7 per cent less than the global average according to a recent study. It maintained that in terms of climate change India falls in the medium to high category considering the overall impact by 2050," J Jayasankar, Head of Fishery Resources Assessment, Economics and Extension Division of CMFRI said.

He said that a big step towards climate resilient fisheries is harnessing the carbon sequestration potential of seaweeds to mitigate climate change impacts. "Enhancing natural habitats for improving seaweed resources and expanding seaweed culture systems and enhancing mangrove ecosystems may help lay the path for better carbon sequestration," he said.

17.7
Per cent of CO2 produced per kg of caught fish

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