New Delhi signs pact on fisheries with Israel

India and Israel have signed an agreement to advance fisheries and aquaculture. The Joint Ministerial Declaration of Intent to strengthen the cooperation in the field of Fisheries and Aquaculture was signed during the visit of a high-level Indian delegation, led by the Union Minister of Fisheries Rajiv Ranjan Singh, to Israel from January 13 to 15. Singh was in Eilat, Israel, to attend the Second Global Summit on “Blue Food Security: Sea the Future 2026”.

A significant component of the cooperation will be exploring the establishment of new Indo-Israel Centres of Excellence for Fisheries and Aquaculture, on the similar line of a successful network of 43 agricultural Centres of Excellence already operational under Indo-Israel collaboration.

The declaration sets out a comprehensive framework for cooperation across multiple areas of mutual interest -- including joint research and development in advanced aquaculture technologies such as Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS), biofloc, cage culture, aquaponics and aquarium systems, including oceanarium, expertise in breeding high-yield species and pathogen-free seed improvement strategies; and broodstock development.

It seeks to strengthen bilateral trade through dialogue to facilitate exports and imports, address tariff and non-tariff barriers, and support technology-driven traceability systems in fisheries and aquaculture.