Fishermen and marine scientists have called on fishmeal makers – Indian Marine Ingredients Association – to address sustainability as it is the pillar of the 7.38-billion-dollar marine food industry in the country. The call came after the fishmeal makers welcomed Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) lifting the moratorium on new factories.
The moratorium was imposed in December 2019. “The association applauds lifting of the moratorium on opening new fishmeal and fish oil units and endorsing additional capacity. This will revitalise the industry and ensure a sustainable future for India’s fishing and aquaculture sectors,” said Mohamed Dawood Sait, president of the association here on Wednesday (August 14, 2024). The news of lifting of the ban on new fishmeal units prompted fishermen and experts to call on the fishmeal makers to look at sustainability issues and on the government to strictly implement rules against juvenile fishing.
Central concern
Sunil Mohammed, veteran marine scientist who retired from the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute in Kochi, said that sustainability is the central concern. “Without sustainability, there is no future for both fishmeal factories and aquaculture industry,” he said. Similar concerns were raised by Charles George, representing traditional fishermen under the independent fishermen’s union Swathanthra Matsya Thozhilali Aikya Vedi. He said the lifting of the ban on new fishmeal and fish oil factories is in keeping with the government encouraging aquaculture in the country. The move is questionable unless the government ensures that the marine fishing regulations are strictly adhered to, he added.
Mr. Sait said the concerns expressed about sustainability are also uppermost in the minds of the fishmeal makers. He said Indian fisheries have been sustainable and that over the last 150 years, no fishes have disappeared. The fishmeal industry is also keen on ensuring that sustainability is supported. The industry has the interests of the fishermen close to its heart and sustainability is central to this concern, he added.
Major raw material
He also claimed that the major raw material used for fishmeal is small pelagic fish, which is low-value and highly resistant with low human preference and is abundant in Indian waters. The industry is committed to waste management and resource conservation, transforming by-products into valuable protein sources. Fishmeal is also a major input in meeting the protein needs of aquaculture, poultry and livestock. India is also the third largest exporter of fishmeal in the world, adding to its economic significance.
Meanwhile, experts feel that the rules in place should be implemented strictly. These steps include fitting trawl nets with square mesh cod ends, using 25 mm and 35 mm square mesh nets for fishing activities as initiated by the Kerala government to ensure that juveniles and bycatch are reduced to the minimum. The government has notified 54 species of commercially important fishes under the minimum legal size, they added.