The Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday stressed upon illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities, a challenge which relates to resource over-exploitation.
Singh has called for establishing multinational collaborative mitigation frameworks in the Indian Ocean region to effectively tackle common maritime challenges such as climate change, piracy, terrorism, drug-trafficking, overfishing and freedom of commerce on high seas.
He was delivering the keynote address at the fourth edition of Goa Maritime Conclave (GMC).
“IUU fishing endangers ocean ecosystems and sustainable fishery. It also threatens our economic security and regional & global food security. A multinational collaborative effort for compilation and sharing of surveillance data is the need of the hour. It will help in identifying factors with irregular or threatening behaviour, which will have to be countered resolutely,” he said.
Singh emphasised that common maritime priorities need to be addressed cooperatively by avoiding selfish interests that make the region less secure and less prosperous. He underlined the importance of respecting the international maritime laws, as enunciated in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982.
“A free, open and rule-based maritime order is a priority for all of us. ‘Might is right’ has no place in such a maritime order. Adherence to international laws and agreements must be our lodestar. Our narrow immediate interests may tempt us to flout or disregard the well-established international law, but doing so would lead to the breakdown of our civilised maritime relations,” the Defence Minister said.
“Fair rules of engagement are crucial for fostering collaboration and ensuring that no single country dominates others in a hegemonic manner,” he added.
On climate change, Singh stated that the collaborative mitigation framework can involve the countries working together to reduce carbon emissions and transition to sustainable practices. He pointed out that the world could overcome this problem if all countries accepted the responsibility to cut emissions by investing in a green economy and share technology & capital with the needy countries.
After his address, Singh visited the ”Make in India” stalls set up at the venue to enable the visiting dignitaries of the 12 countries to catch a glimpse of the growing capabilities of India’s defence industry in indigenous manufacturing of state-of-the-art weapons, equipment and platforms.
The three-day conclave, which commenced on October 29, is being attended by Delegate in Charge of Defence, Comoros Mohamed Ali Youssoufa and Chiefs of Navies/Heads of Maritime Forces/Senior representatives from eleven other Indian Ocean nations — Bangladesh, Indonesia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka & Thailand