Reliance Foundation partners with INCOIS to launch campaign for promoting sustainable fisheries

A member of the fishing community lights the lamp at the mega awareness campaign organised by Reliance Foundation and INCOIS.

The Reliance Foundation in partnership with the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, organised a mega campaign for the fishing communities in Maharashtra with a focus on how technology can help with sustainable fisheries.

“Our partnership with INCOIS has been a long-standing one and it continues to help the marine fishing community better adapt to climate challenges towards their better future,” Jagannatha Kumar, CEO of Reliance Foundation, said while speaking on the joint campaign.

Under the ‘Mega Awareness Campaign on Ocean Information and Advisory Services’ organised as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, in-depth interactions were held with over 200 coastal fishermen hailing from the state. At the event held in Navi Mumbai on August 3, they got a first-hand experience in the use and benefits of information services as well as related technologies for strengthening livelihoods.

The event provided a platform for fisherpersons from Maharashtra to interact with stakeholders from the government, key research and development sector organisations. A stakeholder consultation was also held where a group of fisherpersons using information services of INCOIS and Reliance Foundation provided feedback on ways to strengthen these services, the company said in a release.

Experts from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the Central Institute of Fisheries Education (CIFE), Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT), Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), NETFISH-MPEDA, Fishery Survey of India, Reliance Foundation and the Mangrove Foundation spoke on key fisheries concerns at the event.

Speaking on the success of the campaign, Dr T Srinivas Kumar, Director, INCOIS, said: “The collective efforts of INCOIS and Reliance Foundation have significantly raised public awareness about ocean information and advisory services. This campaign has effectively highlighted the critical role our oceans play in supporting economic growth and has helped advance the concept of Blue Economy.”

Reliance Foundation CEO Kumar said: “India is the third largest fish producer in the world and the government is poised through PMMSY to take this Blue Revolution even further. Reliance Foundation has been helping enhance lives and livelihoods of fishing communities through information services such as the ‘Machli’ app, promote sustainable fishing and help in improving information generation by taking feedback from the fishing community to experts.”

The campaign assumes significance in the context of climate challenges impacting fish catch from the state’s coastal waters and the need to bridge information gaps essential for marine fisherpersons.

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