India Takes Over Chairmanship of BOBP-IGO at the 13th Governing Council Meeting in Maldives.
Committies and Meeting
On 21 February 2025, India assumed the Chairmanship of the Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO) from Bangladesh at the 13th Governing Council Meeting held in Malé, Maldives.
- The event was part of the high-level conference 'Policy Guidance for Mainstreaming Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM) in Small-Scale Fisheries', hosted by the Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources (MFOR) of the Maldives government, in collaboration with the BOBP-IGO from 20 to 22 February 2025, in Lankanfinolhu, Maldives.
- The Indian delegation was chaired by Dr. Abhilaksh Likhi, Secretary, Department of Fisheries (DoF), Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying (MoFAHD) Government of India (GoI).
- The event was also attended by senior government representatives from Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Bangladesh.
Main Point :- (i) Key areas of focus for increased regional cooperation include marine resource management, training and capacity building programs, research and policy advocacy, addressing Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, resolving regional issues, etc.
(ii) The partnerships are expected to improve the blue economy in the area, balance economic growth with marine ecological preservation, reduce poverty, and provide India with global leadership and responsibility, which is anticipated to bring several improvements in achieving the national objective of "Viksit Bharat 2047."
(iii) India receives continued support and collaboration from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and other relevant organizations.
About Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO)
Director : Dr P. Krishnan
Headquarters : Chennai, Tamil Nadu(TN)
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