Kochi (IANS) Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry Parshottam Rupala unveiled a study report that reveals India’s marine fish stock is healthy and sustainable, reinforcing the country’s position at the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
Carried out by the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), the study points out that a resounding 91.1 per cent of the 135 fish stocks assessed in 2022 were deemed healthy, marking a significant milestone in India’s efforts to maintain the sustainability of its marine fisheries.
Titled ‘Marine Fish Stock Status of India 2022’, it also highlights the substantial reduction in unsustainable practices, with just 4.4 per cent of the stocks facing overfishing.
Viewing that the report is a remarkable achievement in the country’s pursuit of sustainable marine fisheries, CMFRI Director Dr A Gopalakrishnan said these findings are poised to substantiate India’s position at the World Trade Organization (WTO) and is anticipated to have a favourable impact on the country’s stance in international trade negotiations.
“The report’s findings are expected to be a game-changer in the seafood market, allowing India to access premium markets and command higher prices for its seafood products. Sustainability has emerged as a pivotal criterion in the global seafood trade, and India’s achievement in this realm is poised to bolster its seafood exports significantly,” said Gopalakrishnan.
He said that these findings are a testament to the concerted efforts of the marine fisheries sector to strike a balance between economic growth and ecological conservation.
CMFRI’s special publication titled ‘Good Management Practices in Seaweed Farming’ was also released by the Union Minister.
CMFRI has identified 333 prospective seaweed farming sites covering 23,950 hectares.
An interactive map of these sites has been developed jointly with the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, Chennai.
India has a seaweed production potential of 9.88 million tones wet weight per year while the current production stands at merely 52,107 tones wet weight per year.
Seaweed farming has the potential to provide revenue of up to Rs 13.28 lakhs per hectare in a year on a dry-weight basis.
Nushrratt has come a long way from ‘Pyaar Ka Punchnama’ to her latest release ‘Akelii’ now.
The actress is showing her versatility as an actress and is being appreciated for her choice of roles.
Speaking at an industry event, she felt elated to win this award and said, “I feel when I changed my career graph and started doing films other than ensemble cast, rom-coms to films like ‘Akelii’, ‘Chhorii’ and now ‘Chhorii 2’, I took a different route and to get an award at this time feels really great. Now I am understanding what it is to act from first frame to last frame. How to shoulder a full film as a solo lead female-oriented film. To get an award like this means a lot.”
Talking about always trying to bring something new for the audience, she said, “I always try to do something new every time, but it does not only depend on me. I should also get different projects. But I feel it is a very good time for someone to try different things as different content is coming up. We have many makers now who want to try something new and brave.”
On the workfront, Nushrratt will be next seen in ‘Chhorii 2’, which is a horror film that tells the story of Sakshi, a pregnant woman who moves to a new house with her husband. The film is directed by Vishal Furia and features Nushrratt, Soha Ali Khan and Saurabh Goyal.