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 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 the Marine Products Export Development Authority (Mpeda).

A. Gopalakrishnan, Director of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, said the research on marine mammals in India is based on stranding data, offshore surveys, onshore surveys, and by-catch estimates.

E. Vivekanandan, former Principal Scientist, CMFRI, said research on marine mammals is complex and challenging, requiring the collective support of biologists, veterinarians, environmentalists, and conservationists. 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 discussed the importance of marine mammal conservation for India’s seafood export and the challenges and opportunities in researching 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.

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW