BOBP-IGO organized a Workshop on ‘Knowledge Management in Marine Fisheries’ in Chennai on 12 October 2018...More details Please click.

Regional Cooperation in Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Bay of Bengal Region- First Regional Consultative Forum Meeting Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, 05 October 2018...More details Please click.

BOBP-IGO Revisits 2008 Chittagong Resolution on Monitoring Control and Surveillance...More details Please click.

Exposure Visit of Tamil Nadu Fishers to Sri Lanka - a visit to boat yards, landing centres, meeting with fishers, visiting MCS centre and meeting with Senior Officials of the Ministry/Department of Fisheries, Sri Lanka on the last day of the tour that fishers reported a very productive one!

FAO/BOBP-IGO Expert Meeting on methodologies for Conducting Fishing Fleet Techno-Economic Performance Reviews - 18-20 September 2018, Chennai, Tamil Nadu...More details Please click.

Consultation on Mapping of Tuna Value Chain in Southern India - 28 June 2018, Chennai, Tamil Nadu...More details Please click.

Workshop on Knowledge in Fisheries Co-management - 29 June 2018, Chennai, Tamil Nadu...More details Please click.

Stakeholder Orientation Workshop on Implementation of Fisheries Co-management in Puducherry (FIMSUL-2) - 23 May 2018, UT of Puducherry, India...More details Please click.

Stakeholder Orientation Workshop on Implementation of Fisheries Co-management in Puducherry (FIMSUL-2) - 21 May 2018, UT of Puducherry, India...More details Please click.

The Ocean Partnerships Project - Bay of Bengal convened two days National Workshop for Preparation of Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing 23-24 April 2018, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.

On this day, the Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation joins the global community in reflecting on the importance of water so that our future generations enjoy this vital resource in the same way as we enjoy today.

The Ocean Partnerships Project - Bay of Bengal convened one day Building Inter-Personal Skills for Fisheries Co-management: Training Programme for Officials of the Department of Fisheries & Fishermen Welfare, Government of Puducherry (FIMSUL-2) on 21 March 2018, GRT Convention Centre, Chennai, India.

National Consultative Workshop on Preparation of Fishery Performance Indicators for Yellowfin and Skipjack Tuna Fisheries in India on 12 - 13 March 2018, Chennai, India.

March 8 marks the International Women’s day! We, at the Bay of Bengal Inter-Governmental Organisation, applaud womanhood and wish each and every one of them ‘Happy Women’s Day’. We believe it is not just a day to celebrate the role of women in families, communities, workforce and society, but a day to reflect their achievements and to remember the challenges they face in every sphere of their life.

The Ocean Partnerships Project - Bay of Bengal convened two days Training Course on Co-management for Officials of the Department of Fisheries, Government of Tamil Nadu on 27 - 28 February 2018 at Puducherry, India.

The Ocean Partnerships Project - Bay of Bengal convened two days Training Course on Co-management for Officials of the Department of Fisheries, Government of Tamil Nadu on 05 - 06 February 2018 at Chennai, India.

The Ocean Partnerships Project-Bay of Bengal convened five days Refresher Training Course on Stock Assessment of Tropical Fishes - 28 January to 01 February 2018, Chittagong, Bangladesh...More details Please click.

The Ocean Partnerships Project-Bay of Bengal convened two days Meeting-cum-Workshop to Consider Appropriate Systems/Guidelines/Regulatory Framework for Operation of Fishing Vessels to Prevent Collision with Merchant Vessels and Ensuring Safety of Fishermen and Fishing Vessels on 23 - 24 January 2018 at Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.

The Ocean Partnerships Project-Bay of Bengal convened a day-long Regional Dialogue on “Management of Highly Migratory Fish Species (HMFS) in the Bay of Bengal Region” in Kochi, Kerala, India on 23 November 2017.

World Fisheries Day - 2017

BOBP (OPP) - World Food Day - 2017

Statement of Dr Y S Yadava, Director, Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation on the Occasion of the World Food Day, 2017.

OPP - Animation Film Workshop - 2017

Humans since the beginning of history have been in a competitive relationship with nature. In pursuit of progress, modernisation, and ever-increasing comforts of life, man has increased environmental stress, especially through industrial revolution and wanton destruction of natural capital. 

Six Maldivians representing  fisheries, education and media sectors underwent training at the Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO) during February – March 2017. Arunmani Palani, Chennai-based Director of Photography; Em Shivanath, Cinemaotgrapher and S Jayaraj, BOBP-IGO’s Publication Officer mentored the trainees. 

The United Nations in 2016 declared 02 May as the 'World Tuna Day'. Today, tuna is a highly traded commodity in the global fisheries. According to a 2016 Report published by the Pew Charitable Trusts, globally about 4.6 million tonnes of tuna landed worldwide with an estimated end value of USD 33.3 billion.

A Sea that is powerful, gives life, nurtures and has waves of emotions: Women make more than half of the working population in fisheries- with both paid and unpaid jobs. By recognizing and valuing their contributions, which start from creation and nurturing of life, we are respecting nature itself. Recognizing and redefining their roles is important for sustainable, equitable and gender-just fisheries. BOBP-IGO salutes all the bold women and thank them for their strength, spirit and sweat.

March 08, 2017, when the world observes International Women’s Day, the Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO) is also celebrating the existence of all the wonderful women and wishing them a ‘Happy Women’s Day’.

The Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO) in association with the Department of Fisheries & Fishermen Welfare, Puducherry, organized a one-day Strategic Meeting (SM) on ‘Development of Co-management System’ in Puducherry on January 9, 2017 at Hotel Annamalai International, Puducherry.

Veraval, located in the northwestern State of Gujarat, is emerging as one of the important tuna landing centres in the country. A large number of mechanised gillnetters and canoes fitted with outboard motors target tuna in the continental shelf off Saurashtra and land the catches at Veraval, Mangrol, Porbandar and Okha.

Eighth Scoping Consultation on Tuna Fisheries in India to be held on 22 October, 2016 in Veraval, Gujarat

The tunas, which contributed to the bycatch fishery in India, are being targeted in the last one decade. Tharuvaikulam, a fishing village in Thoothukudi District in the southern part of India, has specialised in tuna fishing by converting about 130 trawlers into gillnetters. 

In the last ten years, Nagapattinam District and Karaikal have emerged as key tuna landing centres. The fishermen from several fishing villages in the district are engaged in target fishing for tunas using gillnets. They fish along the east coast of India and land tunas, mainly the skipjack tuna in Nagapattinam.

The ecosystem approach offers a practical and effective means to manage fisheries more holistically. This concept, which is relatively new to the Bay of Bengal region, poses challenges to the fisheries research and development agencies in developing management plans that not only work locally, but also fit into broader fishery/ecosystem strategies.

Kanniyakumari in Tamil Nadu is the southernmost district in the Indian peninsula. It is arguably also the most important centre in India for tuna and tuna-like fisheries. Fishermen from several fishing villages in the district, particularly in the fishing village Toothoor, are engaged in gillnet, hook and line and longline fishing for tuna and tuna-like species for more than five decades.

Chennai is one of the important tuna landing centres, operating about 300 gillnets from mechanised boats along a 1000 km coastal stretch from Nagapattinam to Visakhapatnam. Intensification of fishing in more recent times by conversion of trawlers into gillnetters, particularly for extracting important stocks like the skipjack and yellowfin tunas, has given rise to serious concerns about how fisheries can keep fulfilling the vital economic and social roles.

The tuna fishing countries in the Bay of Bengal region are at different levels of development. Each country has its uniqueness, and a different set of issues and opportunities. After conducting three scoping consultations in India, a Scoping Consultation was organized in Sri Lanka on 07 June 2016. The venue was Hotel Golden Star, Negombo, Sri Lanka. Fishermen, fish traders, exporters and representatives from developmental agencies participated in the Consultation.

Building human and institutional capacity is an important component of the Ocean Partnerships Project- Bay of Bengal component (OPP-BOB). To address this component, a Regional Workshop on “Fisheries Management in the Context of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks” was organized on 04 June 2016 in Hotel Raintree, Chennai. Participants included representatives from the BOBP-IGO member-countries (Bangladesh, India, Maldives and Sri Lanka); fisheries research institutions and fisheries experts. Countries representative made presentations on the status of highly migratory species and fisheries management.

The first meeting of the Project Coordination Committee (PCC) of the OPP-BOB Project was held in The Hotel Raintree, Chennai on 02 June, 2016. The PCC has been constituted to provide oversight and strategic guidance to the Project, and to ensure that all the key Project outputs are delivered according to the Project document and plan

Andhra Pradesh, located on the southeast coast, records the maximum tuna landings in India. The uniqueness of Andhra Pradesh is that boats ranging from sail-propelled artisanal type to large mechanized boats with diverse gear fish for yellowfin, skipjack and neritic tunas. In spite of a vibrant fishery for tunas, there are several issues that need to be addressed.

Following the first Scoping Consultation conducted in Chennai on March 23, 2016, the second Consultation was held in Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi on April 23, 2016. The Scoping Workshop was expected to contribute to the shaping up of the activities of the Project as well as building linkages which will be further strengthened during the Project and post-Project activities.

India has a large number of R&D institutions on fisheries. These institutions have expertise, resources and knowledge products on fisheries including tuna fisheries. In order to identify the objectives, features and strengths of these institutions, and explore the potential support from these institutions, an institutional mapping workshop was conducted in Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi on April 22, 2016.

To gain an understanding on the issues and opportunities in the oceanic fisheries practiced by the fishing community of Thoothoor (Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu), a field trip was organised on April 10-11, 2016. The fisheries practiced by the Thoothoor fishermen was a key focus of the OPP-BOB. Along with the BOB-OPP team, Dr Milen Dyoulgerov Vollen, World Bank and Task Team Leader, OPP-BOB participated in the field visit. The A stakeholder consultation with the members of Association of Deep Sea Going Artisanal Fishermen (ADSGAF) revealed the experiences of the sector in the high seas within and outside Indian EEZ. This meeting was strengthened by interviewing fishermen in Muttom Fishing Harbour.

To initiate and plan implementation of the project, a Scoping Consultation was conducted in GRT Grand Hotel, Chennai on Febraury 23, 2016. The purpose of the Consultation Meeting was to bring together practitioners and stakeholders from tuna fisheries sector to understand the opportunities and constraints in tuna fisheries in India.