SAARC meeting on marine fin fisheries held in Maldives

The two-day SAARC regional consultation meeting on commercially important marine fin fishes was held in Malé, Maldives from July 1-2, 2026.

The meeting was organised to bring together policymakers, senior fisheries officials, researchers and development partners from across South Asia to discuss the sustainable management of marine fin fish resources and strengthen regional collaboration, said a press release.

The inaugural programme of the meeting was jointly organised by the SAARC Agriculture Centre (SAC), the Ministry of Fisheries, Agriculture and Ocean Resources (MOFOR), Maldives and Shushilan (Development Organisation), Bangladesh. 

Mohamed Muththalib, State Minister of the Ministry of Fisheries, Agriculture and Ocean Resources, Maldives officially inaugurated the meeting. 

He emphasised the vital role of the fisheries sector in ensuring food security and addressing the impacts of climate change. 

Delivering the keynote address titled ‘Marine Fin Fishes in South Asia: Current Management Scenarios and Potential for Collaboration,’ Dr. Md. Abdul Wahab, Professor at Bangladesh Maritime University, highlighted the region’s shared fisheries challenges, including overexploitation, IUU fishing, climate change and habitat degradation. 

In his remarks, Tanvir Ahmad Torophder, Director (ARD & SDF) of the SAARC Secretariat, Kathmandu, Nepal stressed the need for collective action to strengthen fisheries management, enhance regional research, promote seafood processing and value addition, and increase women’s participation in the fisheries sector. 

In his opening remarks, Dr. Md. Harunur Rashid, Director of the SAARC Agriculture Centre emphasised that stronger regional cooperation is essential to ensure the sustainable management of commercially important marine fin fishes. 

He stated that the establishment of a specialised regional marine fisheries management platform under the coordination of the SAARC Agriculture Centre has become a timely necessity to enhance collaboration, promote sustainable resource management and address shared challenges across the SAARC region.

Mostafa Nuruzzaman, Chief Executive of Shushilan (Development Organisation), Bangladesh, highlighted the importance of commercially important marine fin fishes in supporting food security, coastal livelihoods and regional economies. 

Dr. Md. Shariful Islam, Senior Programme Specialist (Fisheries) at the SAARC Agriculture Centre and Coordinator of this programme presented an overview of the meeting objectives and programme. 

He highlighted that the consultation aims to strengthen regional collaboration on the sustainable management of commercially important marine fin fishes through knowledge exchange, policy dialogue and the identification of joint research and development priorities among SAARC member states.

The meeting started with the strong appeal and urge for collaboration of the sustainable fisheries development in the SAARC region.