Bhubaneswar: The fourth fisherfolk community workshop on the conservation of Horseshoe Crabs was organised at Bichitrapur, near the ecologically sensitive mangrove region.
The event was supported by ECRICC, a project jointly funded by UNDP and the Green Climate Fund.
Over 90 members from the fisherfolk community participated in the workshop, with an aim to raise awareness about the urgent conservation needs of Horseshoe Crabs and possible threats.
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The programme started off with an insightful session by Biswajeet Panda from Bikash Saathi, who elaborated on the challenges and threats to the species and its coastal habitats.
ECRICC project subject matter specialist Dipak Kumar Dey spoke on various conservation strategies, government fishery schemes, and sustainable development approaches.
Assistant livelihood officer Pratima Sen emphasised the responsibility of the fishing community in ensuring the survival of endangered species.
Local FNGO community leader Umasankar Panda shared information about various welfare schemes for the fisherfolk community and stressed the importance of proper disposal of ghost nets.
Local Sarpanch Kiranbala Jena appreciated the collective efforts of the organisers in promoting conservation at the grassroots level.
Participants included members of local VSS, SHGs, fisherfolk, forest staff and PRI representatives.
The workshop was effectively managed by Tapan Kumar Dey, Pradeep Patra, Gopal Chandra Dutta, and Harish Chandra Behera.
PNN
