The four-day-long World Ocean Science Congress (WOSC) concluded in Kochi, Kerala, India, on Sunday. The Congress, which witnessed presentation of 450 technical papers in 13 sessions by 86 Indian institutions and 14 foreign institutions, evolved a set of recommendations that will be submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
At the WOSC, scientists, oceanographers and marine experts urged the Central Government to form a separate ministry to bring all the agencies and institutions working in the fields of ocean research and fisheries research under one roof for the smooth implementation and management of all the government policies related to the sectors.
Government agencies and institutions like the Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR), Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT), Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology (CMLRE) and the National Institute of Ocean Technology participated in the Congress, which was jointly organised by the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) and the Swadeshi Science Movement.
Inaugurating the valedictory function of the WOSC-2015, K V Thomas MP said that the government should involve the fishing community while formulating polices that affect their livelihood.There is a clear distinction between fishing techniques in India, which are mostly traditional, and the fishing practices elsewhere, especially in the European countries, which are largely led by commercial interests, he said, adding that the sea belongs to the traditional fishing community. He said that the government should take the initiative to make available the latest technology in the sector to the fisher folk who are facing challenges like low income and poor living standards. Members of the WOSC consortium will sit together again to evolve a comprehensive policy document based on the recommendations, and will submit it to the Prime Minister, said Vijnana Bharati secretary general A Jayakumar.
Delivering the presidential address, KUFOS vice-chancellor and WOSC-2015 chair Madhusoodana Kurup said, for the first time in India, we were able to bring together all the major stakeholders, including the ocean research institutions and universities, under one roof for addressing the challenges faced by the country’s ocean sector and fishing industry.
The other major recommendation made at the Congress was to establish a procedure to identify the potential use of coastal mineral resources, based on Environmental Impact Assessment.On the occasion, Madhusoodana Kurup gave away awards to winners of the WOSC Expo, and distributed prizes to winners of the students’ essay competition held as part of the Science Congress.
WOSC-2015 secretary general V N Sanjeevan, Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL) director S Anantha Narayanan and WOSC general convener P A Vivekananda Pai also spoke.
2014 The Indian Express ltd.