The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying (MoFAH&D), Government of India, hosted a high-level bilateral meeting on 25 August with a distinguished delegation from the Republic of Seychelles. The Seychelles delegation was led by H.E. Mr. Wallace Cosgrow, Minister of Fisheries, Agriculture and Blue Economy, while the Indian delegation was led by Dr. Abhilaksh Likhi, Secretary, Department of Fisheries. The meeting brought together senior officials and institutional representatives from both the nations to review existing frameworks, explore fresh avenues of mutual interest, and establish a robust collaborative road map for sustainable marine resource utilization.
Welcoming the Seychelles delegation, the Indian leadership underscored the deep-rooted maritime partnership between the two nations, reiterating India’s steadfast commitment to expanding technical cooperation in fisheries, aquaculture, advanced scientific research, and capacity-building. Both sides noted that their close alignment remains vital for advancing socio-economic stability, food and nutritional security across the Indian Ocean Region.
During the discussions, both delegations recognized the fisheries sector and the broader blue economy as critical pillars for driving economic growth, generating rural employment, and fostering sustainable development. Highlighting India’s landmark achievements, the Indian delegation shared that national fish production has reached an unprecedented 19.7 million tonnes, with seafood exports valued at USD 8.46 billion. India also detailed its ongoing initiatives in sustainable fisheries management, responsible harvesting practices, and technology-driven infrastructure development.
The comprehensive agenda covered diverse technical areas for potential joint development, including marine aquaculture (mariculture), modern hatchery establishment, tuna fisheries optimization, stock assessment, advanced post-harvest engineering, and comprehensive marine conservation. Both countries explored immediate opportunities for knowledge transfer through targeted technical studies, structured fisheries extension services, and formal institutional training programmes.
A significant focus was placed on accelerating innovation and digital transformation within the sector. The delegations explored concrete partnerships in fisheries data systems, monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS) infrastructure, and the deployment of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) in harvest management. Additional emphasis was laid on value chain development particularly for tuna processing, product diversification, and sustainable fish waste management. To ensure long-term, systemic progress, both sides agreed on the necessity of a structured annual work plan, regulatory alignment, accelerated commercialization of joint scientific research, reciprocal laboratory access, and the collaborative design of impactful pilot projects.
The Seychelles delegation expressed keen interest in accelerating the implementation through a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) exclusively in the field of fisheries and aquaculture with an advanced work plan. They emphasized the importance of setting up institutionalized engagement frameworks to facilitate seamless, continuous communication between administrative bodies, academic researchers, and technical experts from both nations.
Concluding the session, both sides underscored the value of mutual exposure visits, specialized technical exchanges, and the cross-leveraging of national Centres of Excellence to build institutional capacity and propagate international best practices. The high-level meeting concluded on a highly constructive and optimistic note, reaffirming a shared vision to translate diplomatic commitments into impactful, result-oriented action plans that secure long-term maritime prosperity for both India and Seychelles.
