Inviting Suggestions on the Draft Blue Economy Policy

West Bengal blue economy to purba medini pur

Tourism in India was limited to few known locations such as Agra, Jaipur, Varanasi, Khajuraho etc.
Rest of the country was totally ignored.
Perhaps because there was no better connectivity.
Now, the scenario is changing. Good roads can take the tourists directly to remote villages having remains of ancient civilizations. Many small cities are connected with regular flights. It is easier for tourists to reach places of their interests without wasting time in traveling.

We are not able to utilise the full potential of tourism in India.
We have potential for spiritual, medical, religious tourism, remains of ancient civilizations, historical monuments, arts and handicrafts, high mountains of Himalayas to vast coast lines.
Every village can be a tourist spot if properly projected.
Despite having so much for interest of everyone, we are nowhere in global tourism.
We expect that few foreign tour operators to do marketing for us. Why shall they do so?

The government and the private sector will need to make large-scale investments to harness
the resources of the sea. Only then there will be marked increase in food from the seas,
fisheries, aquaculture, shipping and port facilities, marine technology development and
research as well as recovery of minerals, drugs and other assets from the sea bed.

The lack of collaboration and coordination between the public and private sectors in the
maritime domain needs to be addressed comprehensively. It is desirable to encourage ample
mobilisation of inter-institutional linkages across the sectors and underline the need for
reforms in order to fill in gaps in legislation and enforcement mechanisms.

Aqua culture is getting popular in Kerala and there is good scope for further development. Arrangements for quality fish seeds may be made available by promoting good fish hatcheries.

Considering the size, level, stakes and rich potential of the Blue Economy, the government
or industry by itself cannot hope to achieve much. Hence, it is essential to adopt a holistic
strategy anchored in Public Private Partnership (PPP). It should be designed to accelerate
growth, while ensuring sustainable development.

Aqua culture is getting popular in Kerala and there is good scope for further development. Arrangements for quality fish seeds may be made available by promoting good fish hatcheries.

1. Thousands of houseboats are operated in Kerala. Pollution of backwaters is a big problem there. Hence a detailed study and remedial measures at international standards have to be implemented.

2. Lakhs of labourers are working in fishing and connected fields. Their security measures may be given priority when the blue economy policy is framed.

3. Aqua culture is getting popular in Kerala and there is good scope for further development. Arrangements for quality fish

The Earth’s resources are limited, while the needs of humankind – and the world population
itself – are on the rise. It is, therefore, imperative to plan on maximising the utilisation and
harnessing of oceanic resources. However, this should be done in a thoughtful, essentially
Gandhian manner, ensuring an optimal focus on sustainable development. In practice, this
amounts to according equitable priority attention to three key elements, namely Growth,
Employment, Protection of Environment.