While underscoring the need for uniformity in the registration of fishing vessels in the country as envisaged by the Centre in 2014, George Kurian, the Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Minority Affairs said the respective coastal States were duty-bound to monitor fishing vessels that operated without license in their jurisdiction.
“This practice is illegal, and these States must ensure such vessels are licensed. However, most lack the expertise for proper survey and inspection,” he said at a workshop on fishing vessel registration, survey, and certification, organised by the Department of Fisheries and the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, with technical support from the Director General of Shipping and the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. He hoped the workshop would educate stakeholders on the need for proper registration and certification.
Mr. Kurian also emphasised the need for a framed regulation and policy to improve the livelihood of the fishing community and increase the number of vessels to optimally exploit the country’s marine fisheries resources. He then launched the revamped website of the Central Institute of Fisheries Nautical and Engineering Training (https://cifnet.gov.in).
Following the inaugural session, the technical session of the workshop commenced with presentations by experts from the Director General of Shipping, the Indian Register of Shipping, the Shipping Corporation of India, and representatives from the State and Central fisheries research institutes.