4 nations join hands to study Bay of Bengal fisheries

Kochi India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the Maldives have joined hands to establish a regional research network to study the impact of changing weather patterns and ocean conditions on fish stocks in the Bay of Bengal. The initiative, named the Bay of Bengal Network of Ocean Researchers for Fisheries (BOB-NOR), was launched during an international meeting at the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) in Kochi. The meeting was organised on the sidelines of an international symposium on fisheries and remote sensing. Union Fisheries Joint Secretary Surabhi Rai said the initiative could emerge as a model for science-based fisheries management in other parts of the world. The network will bring together ocean scientists, marine researchers and fisheries experts from the four participating countries to understand the reasons behind changing fish populations and assess the consequences for fishing communities. Researchers will examine the influence of rising sea temperatures, changing monsoon patterns, variations in salinity, ocean currents and marine biodiversity on fish populations. The study will also focus on changes in fish migration, breeding patterns, growth and population levels across different parts of the Bay of Bengal. The initiative aims to integrate information from satellite observations, ocean surveys, climate studies and fisheries research to develop a comprehensive understanding of marine ecosystem changes. Officials and experts from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the Maldives participated in the meeting. Researchers from the United States, Brazil, Chile, Portugal, the United Kingdom and Greece also attended.