India should grab share in ocean-based industry: Harsh Vardhan

PANAJI: Union Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan today said the country should move fast to "grab" a legitimate share in the emerging ocean-based industries even as he underscored "indispensability" of ocean and its resources in addressing various future challenges.

"The ocean and its resources are increasingly seen as indispensable in addressing multiple challenges the planet is facing in decades to come. By 2050 enough food, jobs, energy, raw materials and economic growth will be required to sustain a world population of nine billion people," the minister said, adding that oceans have a huge potential to help meet these requirements.

He was speaking at the Foundation Day function of the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) here.

"But it (ocean) is already under stress from over exploitation, pollution, declining bio-diversity and climate change. Hence realising the full potential of the ocean will demand responsible, sustainable approaches to its economic development. This applies both to the established and the many emerging ocean-based activities," Vardhan said.

He said emerging ocean-based industries include off-shore field, tidal and wave energy, offshore extraction of oil and gas in deep sea to name a few.

"Therefore, I urge you all to see urgency in our situation. We must move fast to grab India's legitimate share in the emerging ocean-based industries, which also include sea bed mining for metals and minerals, marine aquaculture, marine biotechnology, ocean-related tourism and leisure activities and most importantly, ocean monitoring, control and surveillance," the minister said.

Referring to the much-discussed 'Swatch Bharat Abhiyaan', the minister said, "the ongoing drive is relevant for our off-shore areas in order to maintain the bio-diversity of our life sustaining waters."