India, Maldives sign fisheries deal to boost sustainable tuna industry, aquaculture

New Delhi: India and the Maldives have signed a fisheries cooperation agreement that will help the island nation scale up its fish processing capabilities and strengthen sustainable tuna fishing, while providing India with enhanced access to deep-sea fisheries resources in the strategically important Indian Ocean region.

The memorandum of understanding was signed on Friday during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to the Maldives, as part of six bilateral agreements exchanged between the two countries.

The deal between India's Department of Fisheries and the Maldives' Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources aims to promote sustainable tuna and deep-sea fisheries, strengthen aquaculture and resource management, and foster fisheries-based eco-tourism, an official statement said.

Key areas of cooperation include value chain development, mariculture advancement, trade facilitation, and capacity building within the fisheries sector, according to the agreement.

Under the partnership, the Maldives will scale up fish processing capabilities by investing in cold storage infrastructure and strengthening aquaculture through hatchery development, improved production efficiency, and diversification of cultured species.

The MoU will also facilitate training and knowledge exchange programmes focused on aquatic animal health, biosecurity screening, aquaculture farm management, and technical fields, including refrigeration and marine engineering.

The cooperation reflects both countries' shared commitment to building a more resilient and sustainable fisheries industry, the statement said.