Blue Economy: What Sri Lanka can learn from Indian initiatives

The “blue economy” means sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs, while preserving the health of marine ecosystems. It spans fisheries and aquaculture, port-led logistics, marine biotechnology, renewable offshore energy, coastal tourism and marine services, such as ocean observation and mapping.

- BY KAPILA CHINTHAKA PREMARATHNE Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Agriculture, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, and RAGAVAN NADARAJAH Lecturer, Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Science, University of Jaffna

As an example, India is actively preparing to harness its marine assets through place-based policy, infrastructure and science. It has a long coastline (officially about 7,516.6 km) and an Exclusive Economic Zone of roughly 2.02 million sq. km. To convert that potential into sustainable growth, India combines national programmes (e.g., the port-modernisation Sagarmala initiative) with sectoral investment such as the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), a fisheries and aquaculture scheme with total investment of about Rs 20,050 crore to boost production, value-chains and livelihoods (Ports & Waterways Ministry of India).

Crucially, India couples finance with research, monitoring and human capital. Institutions such as the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) and the CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) provide operational ocean forecasts, early warnings, mapping and long-term research that underpin policy and industry decisions. And also, the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) plays a vital role in assessing marine fish stocks, developing mariculture technologies / innovations, and formulating ecosystem-based fisheries management approaches.