KOCHI:
The 19.75 m multi-purpose fishing vessel, FV Sagar Harita, built under the project “Green Fishing Systems for the Tropical Seas” funded by National Agricultural Science Fund (ICAR-NASF) was officially launched by Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra, Secretary
(DARE) and Director General (ICAR) in a function organized by ICAR-CIFT at CIFNET auditorium.
In his address Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra, stressed the need for responsible harvest of natural resources and added that status of each potential resource should be appraised in the context of threat to diversity, changes with respect to climate issues, and economic value. He congratulated the whole team for bringing out the green fishing vessel in time and opined that the new vessel, as its name evokes, will pollute less and will address the environmental issues
related to fuel use and generation of greenhouse gases in the fishing industry. He also exhorted that this vessel, will help in research and train fisher folk in modern methods of fishing.
Dr. Joykrushna Jena, Deputy Director General (Fisheries Science), ICAR, New Delhi presided over the function and, R Adm. Shekhar Mital, NM, IN (Retd.), Chairman & Managing Director, Goa Shipyard, Ltd. Goa, Leena Nair,Chairperson, Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), Kochi, Dr. K. Gopakumar, Former DDG(Fisheries), ICAR, Chhabilendra Roul, Additional Secretary (DARE) & Secretary (ICAR), New Delhi
addressed the gathering.
Dr. P. Pravin, Additional Director General (Marine Fisheries), ICAR, New Delhi, Dr. A. Gopalakrishnan, Director, ICAR-CMFRI, Kochi, Dr. Pawan Kumar Agrawal, Assistant Director General (National Agricultural Science Fund) and Shri R.C. Sinha, Director, CIFNET, Kochi also offered felicitations.
Dr. Ravishankar, C.N., Director, ICAR-CIFT, welcomed the gathering and Dr. Leela Edwin, PI of the GFSTS project and HOD, Fishing Technology Division, ICAR-CIFT proposed vote of thanks.
The vessel was launched by Kalpana Mohapatra, wife of Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra in the presence of the dignitaries at NIPHATT Jetty, Kochi.
