New Delhi: The Government of India has officially declared August 23rd as “National Space Day” to commemorate the monumental success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, marking a significant milestone in the nation’s space exploration endeavors. The mission, which successfully achieved a safe and soft landing of the Vikram Lander and deployed the Pragyaan rover near the Moon’s South Pole, has placed India among an elite group of spacefaring nations. India now holds the distinction of being the fourth country to land on the Moon and the first to do so near the lunar South Pole.
The announcement of National Space Day comes amidst nationwide celebrations in July and August 2024, aimed at engaging and inspiring the younger generation in the field of Space Science and Technology. These celebrations highlight India’s growing prominence in the global space community and underscore the government’s commitment to fostering innovation in space research and exploration.
In recognition of this historic achievement, the Department of Fisheries is organizing a special event at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi, on August 23rd. Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Panchayati Raj, Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh, will preside over the event. He will be joined by Ministers of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Panchayati Raj, Prof. S. P Singh Baghel, and Shri George Kurian, along with Dr. Abhilash Likhi, Secretary of the Department of Fisheries, and other distinguished dignitaries.
To further commemorate Chandrayaan-3’s success, the Department of Fisheries is launching a series of seminars and demonstrations on “Application of Space Technologies in Fisheries Sector” across 18 coastal states and Union Territories (UTs). These sessions, led by Dr. Abhilash Likhi, will cover critical topics such as space technology in fisheries, communication, and navigation systems for the marine domain, and the impact of space-based observations on improving the fisheries sector.
Participants will include representatives from the Department of Space, INCOIS, New Space India Ltd., and various stakeholders such as fishermen, Sagar Mitras, FFPOs, fisheries cooperatives, ICAR Fisheries Research Institutes, and students from fisheries universities and colleges. These events will be conducted in a hybrid format, ensuring broad participation and engagement.
India’s fisheries sector is integral to the nation’s economy, providing sustenance, employment, and economic opportunities, particularly in rural areas. With an extensive coastline of 8,118 km, a vast Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) covering 2.02 million square km, and abundant inland water resources, the country’s fisheries ecosystem is both rich and diverse.
The integration of space technologies has brought transformative changes to marine fisheries management and development. Technologies such as satellite remote sensing, Earth observations, satellite-based navigation systems, GIS, satellite communication, and data analytics have revolutionized the sector. For instance, satellites like Ocean-sat and INSAT are used to monitor ocean color, chlorophyll content, and sea surface temperature, helping to identify potential fishing grounds and assess ocean health. Additionally, Earth observation satellites monitor ocean currents and extreme weather hazards, optimizing fishing operations and enhancing safety.
Satellite-based communication networks have improved maritime domain awareness and the livelihood of fishermen by enabling real-time data exchange between vessels, shore-based stations, and research institutions. Data analytics and AI further enhance the efficiency of fishing operations by predicting fish distributions and detecting anomalies.
The Potential Fishing Zones (PFZ) advisories, leveraging ocean color monitor data from the Ocean-sat satellite, have significantly increased the estimated marine fisheries potential of India. These advisories have boosted fishers’ ability to locate and harvest better catches, thereby contributing to the sustainable management of marine resources.
The Department of Fisheries, under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), supports these technological advancements through the Monitoring, Control, and Surveillance (MCS) system. This includes providing communication and tracking devices for fishing vessels, such as VHF radios, Distress Alert Transmitters (DATs), and transponders, along with services like the Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) enabled GNSS tracking system.
Moreover, a National Rollout Plan for Vessel Communication and Support Systems in marine fishing vessels has been approved, which envisages the installation of 100,000 transponders on marine fishing vessels across nine coastal states and four union territories. This initiative, with an outlay of Rs. 364 Crores, underscores the government’s commitment to enhancing the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of India’s fisheries sector.
As the nation celebrates National Space Day, these initiatives highlight the synergistic potential of space technologies in driving India’s progress, not just in space exploration but also in critical sectors like fisheries, contributing to the nation’s overall development and prosperity.