Ahmedabad: Ahmedabad is set to host the Global Fisheries Conference India 2023, a two-day mega event bringing together a diverse array of dignitaries and stakeholders including state fisheries ministers, ambassadors of different nations, global fisheries scientists, policymakers, fisheries communities, and investment bankers on November 21 and 22 on the occasion of celebrations of the World Fisheries.  Organized by the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India, the conference will serve as a platform to forge partnerships with national and international stakeholders and chalk out a roadmap for sustainable growth of India’s fisheries sector. Under the theme ‘Celebrating Fisheries and Aquaculture Wealth’, the conference aims to bring together key stakeholders on one platform for fruitful discussions, market insights, and networking.
 
Union Fisheries Minister Shri. Parshottam Rupala will inaugurate the conference on Tuesday in the presence of Gujarat Chief Minister Shri. Bhupendra Rajnikant Patel, Ministers of State Dr L Murugan and Dr Sanjeev K Balyan, State Fisheries Ministers, Union Fisheries Secretary, and other dignitaries. 


 International Collaboration
The Central Government intends to captialise on this global event as a strategic platform to harness international collaboration aiming to boost export capital, enhance the socio-economic well-being of fishers and aquafarmers, and promote start-up and entrepreneurial initiatives across the value chain in the sector.  
 
International Round Table led by Union Minister
Major highlights of the conference include the International Round Table Meet led by Union Fisheries Minister Shri. Parshottam Rupala. This high-level dialogue, attended by ambassadors of different nations and representatives of various international agencies, will focus on international collaborative efforts to sustain the sector amid a range of critical challenges, including the climate crisis. 
 
High-level delegations from more than 10 countries have confirmed their participation and will attend the Conference physically. France will be represented by Ms. Monique Tran representing Counsellor for Agricultural Affairs, Cristian Rodrigo Valdes Carter and Ms. Arti Bhatia Kumar will represent Norway; Dr. Richard Niall, First Secretary (Agriculture) from Australian High Commission; Muratov Sergey,  Adiatulin Ilias and Shagushina Anna from Russia; Wagner Antunes, Head of the Trade Promotion Department of the Embassy of Brazil; Mr.Dimitrios Ioannou, Minister and Ambassador, Greece; Borja Velasco Tuduri, Counsellor, Spain; Melanie Phillips, Counsellor (Agriculture), New Zealand; and Peter Hobwani, Deputy Ambassador, Zimbabwe have already confirmed their participation. In addition, more than 50 other foreign diplomats are anticipated to join the meeting online. 
 
Similarly, around 10 renowned international organizations will also attend the global meeting. Mr. Changnam Jung, Natural Resources and Agriculture Specialist of Asian Development Bank (ADB); Takayuki Hagiwara, India Head of Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN (FAO); Pratap Sinha, Sandeep Nayak, Rajadyuti Mahapatra and Dharmendra Bhoi from GiZ; Dr P Krishnan, Director of the Bay of Bengal Inter-Governmental Programme (BOBP-IGO) and Ranjit Suseelan, India Consultant of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) will attend the conference.
 
The Conference will also be attended by Mr. Changnam Jung, Natural Resources and Agriculture Specialist of Asian Development Bank (ADB); Takayuki Hagiwara, India Head of Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN (FAO); Pratap Sinha, Sandeep Nayak, Rajadyuti Mahapatra and Dharmendra Bhoi from GiZ; Dr P Krishnan, Director, Bay of Bengal Inter-Governmental Programme (BOBP-IGO) and Ranjit Suseelan, India Consultant of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) will attend the conference. 
 
Unique Opportunity for Stakeholders
The conference covers over 210 national and international exhibitors, including start-ups, exporters, fisheries associations, and processing industries. It will showcase their products, success stories, and innovative solutions. This will offer a unique opportunity for enterprises, startups, associations, co-operatives, Self Help Groups (SHGs), and small-medium fisheries enterprises to come together on one platform and showcase their range of products and services in the fisheries. 
 
The event will encompass a range of engaging sessions, including Matsya Manthan, featuring technical discussions with national and international experts; industry connects for interactions between industry stakeholders and policymakers; government-to-government (G2G), Business to Government (B2G) and Business to Business (B2B) Bilateral meets; exhibition showcasing cutting-edge fisheries and aquaculture technologies. A special pavilion will be set up to exclusively demonstrate 10 transformative initiatives in the fisheries sector. 
 
Industry Connect & Business pitches
During the Global Fisheries Conference India 2023, Industry will be organized to engage the industry stakeholders with others including policy makers for deliberations upon issues such as start-up ecosystem, cooperation & collaboration in the fisheries sector, technology and knowledge transfer, R&D, capacity building, extension, best practices, involvement of women in fisheries value chain, safety standards, market linkages, and business opportunities etc. This session will feature prominent representatives from organizations like the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and other prominent fisheries industry associations.
 
The event is anticipated to attract a total of 5,000 visitors, including fishers, fish farmers, fish vendors, representatives of fisheries cooperatives, local communities, foreign delegates and investors, and fisheries start-ups. International leaders, technology investors, research and development institutions, equipment manufacturers, export councils, fisheries' associations, financial institutions, international fishing industry organizations, and aquaculture pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals will also participate in the two-day mega event. 

Ministry of fisheries animal husbandry and dairying 

India