India and France have announced plans to enhance scientific cooperation in marine science and technology and also exchanges of students and researchers with aims to monitor, protect and sustainably use marine living and non-living resources and the biodiversity of the seas and ocean.
The two countries have agreed on a roadmap on blue economy and ocean governance. India and France intend to tap the blue economy while respecting the environmental, coastal and marine biodiversity, Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.
The agreement between India and France was inked during External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s three-day visit to France.
Both countries aim to contribute to scientific knowledge and ocean conservation, while also ensuring that the ocean remains a global common, a space of freedom and trade, based on the rule of law, added the MEA in its statement.
The areas of strengthened cooperation will include- physical and spatial oceanography, environmental impact studies, combatting marine pollution, knowledge and conservation of biodiversity and marine ecosystem and services, genetic biodiversity mapping, generating a germplasm inventory, ecosystem-based approaches, monitoring of fish stocks, fishing techniques, stock enhancement, ocean observation, and marine meteorology among others.
In addition, the MEA said that studying the cumulative impacts of multiple stressors on the marine environment, including ocean acidification, pollution and extreme weather events, coastal risks and resilience can also add to the scientific cooperation between India and France in the domain of Blue Economy and Ocean Governance.