16 May 2017 12:00 am
The Centre for Indo-Lanka Initiatives (CILI) of the Pathfinder Foundation (PF) will conduct a two-day round table discussion on Blue Economy with the Vivekananda International Foundation, in New Delhi today and tomorrow.
The focus of the discussion will be guided by the theme, ‘Sustainable Exploitation of Marine Resources’. The panellists will examine aspects of sustainable exploitation of aquatic living resources like fish and other life forms in one session.
Another session will be devoted to looking at ways and means of joint exploration of non-living resources of the seabed. The focus of these efforts will be in line with the Sustainable Development Goal No. 14 of the UN to “Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources”.
The final session will consider maritime security issues in the Indian Ocean region, which may impinge upon the quest for Blue Economy.
The delegation representing the CILI of the PF will comprise PF Chairman Bernard Goonetilleke, CILI Director Admiral (Rted.) Dr. Jayanath Colombage, Ocean University Vice Chancellor Tilak Dharmaratne, Point Pedro Institute of Development Principal Researcher Dr. Muttukrishna Sarvananthan and PF Project Manager Ameera Arooz. Blue Economy is a relatively emerging concept, which is founded on the premise of sustainable development of the resources of oceans, which would yield benefits not only for coastal states but also for the world at large without damaging the marine environment.