Chennai, Sep 18 ( IANS) Small-scale fishers in the Bay of Bengal are facing unprecedented threats to their livelihoods due to rising sea temperatures, extreme weather events, and increasing cyclonic disturbances, according to a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.
The three-day meeting, jointly organised by the FAO and the Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO), brought together policymakers, marine scientists, and fisherfolk representatives from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and the Maldives to discuss climate-driven risks and mitigation strategies.
Presenting the report titled ‘Disaster Risks and Climate Change in BoB Region’ on Thursday, BOBP Director P. Krishnan highlighted the severe impacts of climate change on marine fishing.
“The same waters that sustained millions of livelihoods are now becoming more hostile and unpredictable,” he said.
The report revealed that climate-induced storms are reducing fishing days by 10–15 annually, while marine heatwaves, projected to reach 250 days per year by 2100, could devastate fish stocks and exacerbate extreme weather events.
The report also warned of rising sea levels, storm surges, and saline intrusion, leaving coastal communities in the region among the most climate-vulnerable populations in South Asia.
Poor access to insurance and low compliance with safety measures further expose fishers to fatal risks.
Krishnan emphasised the urgent need to implement BOBSAFE, a regional plan on fishermen’s safety and working conditions developed by FAO and BOBP-IGO and endorsed in 2023.
Case studies presented at the meeting advocated for restoring mangroves, building disaster-resilient fishing villages, introducing climate-smart credit schemes, relocating erosion-prone communities, and strengthening community-based early warning systems.
Experts stressed the importance of regional collaboration, shared climate-risk data platforms, and stronger policy alignment under the UN’s Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries (VG-SSF).
The meeting concludes on Friday, aiming to foster actionable strategies to safeguard millions of small-scale fishers whose livelihoods are increasingly threatened by the climate crisis.
–IANS
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