Billiground, Nov. 23: The ICAR Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), North & Middle Andaman, in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries, Fisheries Sub-station, Billiground, celebrated World Fisheries Day on 21st November 2025 at the Fish Landing Centre at Betapur. The programme focused on the theme “India’s Blue Transformation: Strengthening Value Addition in Seafood Exports. ”The programme was inaugurated by Er Manoj Kumar, SMS (Agri. Engg.) ICAR-KVK, North& Middle Andaman district. In his address he stressed the importance of recognising World Fisheries Day as a platform for promoting sustainable fisheries, and commended the fishing community for its indispensable contribution to the nation’s food security. Mr. Subam Debroy, SMS (Fisheries Science), emphasized the need for adopting eco-friendly fishing practices to curb the overexploitation of marine ecosystems and maintain ecological balance. He stressed the importance of adhering to appropriate mesh size regulations and observing fishing bans during the monsoon season to give fish the opportunity to breed at least once in their lifetime, ensuring the sustainability of marine resources. Furthermore, he highlighted the significance of prioritizing aquaculture as a sustainable and scalable solution to address the growing global demand for food while reducing pressure on natural fish stocks. Mr. Rakesh Dawar, SMS (Agronomy), emphasized the significance of World Fisheries Day in raising awareness about sustainable fisheries management. He urged fishermen to leverage resources and opportunities provided by the dedicated fisheries ministry to improve their livelihoods. Mr Sanjib Kumar Sutradhar, Fisheries Inspector at the Billiground Substation, opened his session by welcoming the participants and giving an overview of the day’s programme. He then addressed the critical aspects of post-harvest processing and value addition in the fisheries sector, and encouraged fishermen to take advantage of schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana to enhance their livelihoods, adopt sustainable practices and build long-term resilience in the industry. The program was conducted under the overall guidance of Dr. Jai Sunder, Director (Act.), ICAR-CIARI, Sri Vijaya Puram. About 30Fisherman participated and benefited from the program.