The World Fisheries Day is annually celebrated across the globe on 21st November 2020, to create and spread awareness about the importance of the healthy ocean ecosystem and to ensure the sustainable stock of fisheries in the world.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation(FAO) of the United Nations(UN) celebrated World Fisheries Day 2020 on 20th November 2020 instead of 21st November 2020.
FAO Events 2020:
i.The holy see and FAO partners to celebrate the World Fisheries day 2020 on 20th November 2020.
ii.The events of World Fisheries Day 2020 (20th November 2020) of FAO are held within the context of the celebration of 75th Anniversary of FAO and the 100th Anniversary of Stella Maris.
iii.The events include, “Voices from the Sea” a tribute to all the fishermen and workers whose lives were impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
iv.The Voices from the Sea will provide an opportunity to discuss the measures that countries have taken and are still taking to limit the impacts of the COVID-19 on the fisher’s community.
World Fisheries Day in India:
The World Fisheries Day is celebrated in India on 21st November to highlight the importance of fisheries in India and to demonstrate harmony with all fish folk communities, fish farmers and other stakeholders across the world.
2020 World Fisheries Day Events in India:
On 21st November 2020, The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India organised the event to celebrate the World Fisheries Day 2020 at NASC Complex, Pusa, New Delhi. Pratap Chandra Sarangi, Minister of State (MoS) Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, was the Chief Guest of the event.
Awards:
The government of India felicitated the fisheries sector awards for the first time on the World Fisheries day 2020.
Best Performing States for 2019-20:
| Category | State |
|---|---|
| Marine states | Odisha |
| Inland states | Uttar Pradesh |
| Hilly and North East states | Assam |
Best Organisations for 2019-20:
| Category | Organisation |
|---|---|
| Marine region | Tamil Nadu Fisheries Development Corporation Ltd |
| Inland region | Telangana State Fishermen Cooperative societies Federation Ltd |
| Hilly region | Assam Apex Cooperative Fish Marketing and Processing Federation Ltd |
Best District 2019-2020:
| Category | District |
|---|---|
| Marine region | Krishna, Andhra Pradesh |
| Inland region | Kalahandi, Odisha |
| Hilly region | Nagaon, Assam |
Other awards:
Various awards for individuals and organisations were also presented to recognise their achievements in fisheries and to acknowledge their contribution to the growth of the fisheries sector.
The category of the awards was,
- Best Fisheries Enterprise
- Best performing Fisheries Cooperative Societies/Fish Farmer Producer Organization(FFPO) /Self Help Group (SHG)
- Best Individual entrepreneurs
- Best Marine and Inland Fish Farmer
- Best Finfish and Shrimp hatcheries
Key People:
Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary, Minister for Dairy Development, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, Government of Uttar Pradesh along with fishers, fish farmers, entrepreneurs, stakeholders, professionals, officials and scientists from across India participated in the event.
About Food and Agriculture Organisation(FAO):
Director-General– QU Dongyu
Headquarters– Rome, Italy
About Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying:
Union Minister– Giriraj Singh
Minister of State– Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, Pratap Chandra Sarangi
