PUDUCHERRY: Chairperson of National Fishworkers Forum M Ilango, Ex-MLA, is scheduled to participate in a South Asian fishermen leaders’ meet, organised by the United Nations (UN) to be held in Colombo for four days from November 23.
His itinerary includes meeting the fishermen leaders of North and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka and discuss bilateral issues of the fishing communities.
The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) of the UN had been consulting fishing leaders, representatives of national organisations, fish resource experts and fishery scientists from all over the world regarding the means to ensure sustainable livelihood for small scale fishermen.
According to a release, the FAO had worked out guidelines in this regard in 2014. It was even unanimously passed in a meeting held at Rome in June 2014 and was ratified by member countries. It was decided to hold conferences at the continental, regional and sub-regional level so as to ensure the implementation of the same.
Accordingly, a Workshop for the South Asian countries is being held between November 23 and 26 at Colombo. The fishermen leaders, experts, scientists and officials from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Maldives are expected to participate in the workshop.