The inauguration of the training on Management Development Programme (MDP) on New Paradigms in Fish Stock Assessment was held at NARA, Colombo on 25th May 2023. The training programme is scheduled to be held from 25th May to 1st June 2023 at Main Auditorium in NARA.
This event is jointly organized by the Ministry of Fisheries, Sri Lanka and the Bay of Bengal Program Inter-Governmental Organization (BOBP-IGO), Central Marine Fisheries Institute (CMFRI) and The National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA). The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is the funding agency.
Fish stock assessment is crucial for sustainable management of fisheries, ensuring the long-term health of fish populations and the ecosystems they inhabit. It is the process of estimating abundance, Maximum Sustainable Yield and predictive models of fish stocks. Importantly, in the recent years, coastal nations are increasingly recognizing the essentiality of accurate stock assessments to prevent over-harvesting and maintain sustainable stock levels. Hence, training programmes are crucial in developing the skills and update knowledge needed for assessment of fish stocks, leading to formulation of effective management plans. This Management Development Program on Fish Stock Assessment aims at strengthening the core competencies of officials from the fisheries and related departments and young researchers through the basic and advanced methods.
Additional Secretaries of Ministry of Fisheries, Mr. Namal Thalngama, Mr. Dammika Ranathunga and Ms. Anusha Gokula, Prof. M.J.S. Wijeyaratne, Chairman of NARA, Dr. Kamal Thennakoon, Director General of NARA, Mr. Nalin Perera, Representative of IUCN and E. Vivekanandan (EV), Adviser/ Consultant, CMFRI/BOBP-IGO were graced the inaugural ceremony.
Dr. J. Jayasankar, Principal Scientist, CMFRI, Dr. Eldho Varghese, Senior Scientist, CMFRI, Dr. E. Vivekanandan, Adviser/ Consultant, CMFRI/BOBP-IGO, Dr. P. Krishnan, Director, BOBP-IGO, Dr. A. Gopalakrishnan, Director, ICAR-CMFRI, Dr. Rishi Sharma; Senior Fisheries Resources Officer FAO and Dr. Sri Hari, Project Scientist, BOBP-IGO are the resource persons.
