International Conference on Fisheries Biotechnology 2025 organised

17th & 18th March 2025, Mumbai

ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai, in collaboration with the Indian Fisheries Association (IFA), Mumbai organized the International Conference on Fisheries Biotechnology from 17 to 18 March 2025. The theme of the conference was ‘Biotechnology for Alternative Protein, Cultivated Seafood & Blue Revolution’.
This conference served as a platform for experts, researchers, academicians, and industry leaders to discuss the latest advancements and challenges in the field of fisheries biotechnology, particularly biotechnology for alternative protein and cultivated seafood.

Dr. Raghavendra Bhatta, Deputy Director General (Animal Science) inaugurated the conference. During the inauguration, he emphasized the significance of the conference in providing a platform for fruitful scientific deliberation and interaction among the scientific community and other stakeholders in the area.

Dr. W. S. Lakra, Secretary of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Guest of Honour at the Inaugural Function of the conference stressed the importance of fish biotechnology research in the development of fisheries and aquaculture sector of the country.

Dr. C. N. Ravishankar, Director, ICAR-CIFE, Mumbai welcomed the participants and briefed the genesis of the conference and hoped it would help all the stakeholders and the sector in its all-round development.

Dr. Mukunda Goswami, Convenor of the conference, briefed about the current status of the research towards alternative protein, cultivated seafood, and other areas of fish biotechnology furthering the goals of the blue revolution.

Over 300 participants including eminent scientists from abroad including countries such as Canada, Japan, Netherlands, Singapore, and USA and from India from IIT Bombay, IIT Madras, IIT Guwahati, CCMB Hyderabad, IISc Bengaluru, NIO Goa, CMLRI Kochi, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Gujarat Biotechnology University Gandhinagar, Banaras Hindu University Varanasi, and student researchers from the ICAR and other renowned Indian research institutes and universities, representatives from the National Fisheries Development Board, the Department of Biotechnology, and industries such as M/s. Himedia Labs Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai, M/s. MyoWorks Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai and M/s. Neat Meatt, Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad participated in the conference.

The conference explored how biotechnology can contribute to the production of lab- grown seafood, smart proteins, etc. which could complement the fisheries and aquaculture and address concerns of environmental degradation, overfishing, climate change, etc.

The conference concluded by recommending that collaboration between academia and industry should be strengthened for research and bio-manufacturing of smart and alternative proteins and strengthening research on cultivated seafood. It was also recommended in this that AI-based mathematical modelling should be utilized for developing serum-free media for cultivated seafood to reduce its cost. Finally, it was recommended that efforts should be made to improve the public perception of cultivated/lab-grown fish meat.

(Source: ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai)