India Elected as Vice-Chair of UN FAO Committee on Fisheries

India has been elected as the Vice-Chair of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Committee on Fisheries (COFI) Management. India's role in this committee as a representative of least developed and developing countries in the field of fisheries and management will determine the direction of the sector.

• India will serve as a member of the global Bureau of Fisheries and Management for the first time in 57 years. The Indian Embassy in Italy has given this information.
• This will prove especially important in the case of artisanal and small scale fisheries. The embassy also said that India will work as a member of the FAO Fisheries Bureau on ‘Capture Fisheries’ for the first time in 57 years.

Platform for Fisheries Management at Global Level: 

• The Sub-committee on Fisheries Management is a forum to discuss fisheries management issues at the national, regional and global levels.
• The decision comes at a time when many countries are protesting against China's illegal and unregulated fishing practices in international waters. China often violates the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) of other countries.
• According to an investigative journalism report, between 2019 and 2021, China has violated the EEZ of more than 80 other countries.

About Committee on Fisheries (COFI):

• Established in 1965, COFI is an intergovernmental forum that addresses international fishing and aquaculture issues. Provides policy guidance on fisheries management. It identifies the global challenges in the region.
• It promotes collective solutions to ensure the environmental, economic and social sustainability of the fishing industry.
• The group also makes recommendations to the FAO Council or its Director-General.
• The Sub-Committee on Fisheries Management is a new sub-group formed under COFI during the 35th session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI), to be held in Rome in 2022. 
• It will work closely with two other COFI sub-committees, the Sub-Committee on Aquaculture and the Sub-Committee on Fish Trade.

Fisheries Sector of India:

• India is one of the top fishing countries with over 28 million inland and marine fisheries.

About Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO):

• FAO, a UN specialized agency, focuses on global food and agricultural matters. It leads international efforts to prevent hunger.
• World Food Day is celebrated every year on 16 October to mark the anniversary of the establishment of FAO in 1945.
• Its Headquarters: Rome (Italy).
• The current Director General of FAO is Qiu Dongyu.
• India is one of the founding members of FAO.