Kerala Governor Arif Muhammad Khan has called upon fisheries and ocean sciences students and researchers to direct their efforts towards securing affordable, healthy diets for the population while safeguarding rural livelihoods and the rich natural resources.
This imperative is in response to the growing significance of fisheries and aquaculture in ensuring food security and nutrition worldwide, he said while speaking at the 9th convocation address at the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (Kufos) in Kochi.
Governor highlighted that 811 million people around the world suffer from hunger, with an additional three billion people unable to afford healthy diets. He underscored the importance of nurturing both specialised knowledge and a range of generic skills in fisheries education, emphasising the need for fisheries graduates to spearhead the “blue transformation.”
To achieve this, he stressed the importance of close collaboration with the development of national-level multidisciplinary research programmes.
ISRO Chairman S. Somanath discussed ISRO’s ocean satellites project, aimed at assisting those who rely on the oceans for their livelihoods. He mentioned the collaboration between ISRO and the Tamil Nadu Government in this endeavor and the ground-breaking research ISRO is preparing for, involving a six-km deep study of ocean waters. This deep-water ocean study is expected to enhance the success rate of blue economy projects, he said.
The convocation ceremony was presided over by the State Fisheries Minister and Pro Chancellor of KUFOS, Saji Cherian who expressed the Kerala Government’s commitment to collaborating with ISRO for the advancement of the fisheries sector in Kerala.
The gathering was welcomed by Kufos Vice Chancellor Pradeepkumar, and the vote of thanks was proposed by Registrar K. Dinesh.
Governor Arif Muhammad Khan conferred a total of 792 degrees during the convocation ceremony. These included 26 Doctoral Degrees, 144 Bachelor Degrees in Fisheries Science (BFSc), and 83 in Food Technology (B.Tech). The remaining degrees awarded were Postgraduate Degrees, comprising 45 M.F.Sc, 82 M.B.A, 378 M.Sc, 19 M.Tech, and 15 L.L.M (Maritime Law).