| The “14th National Workshop on Livestock and Fisheries Research 2083” began yesterday (20 April 2026) in Nepal and is scheduled to conclude tomorrow (22 April 2026), bringing together national and international experts to discuss sustainable development in the sector.
The three-day workshop, organized by the Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC), has drawn participation from leading institutions including Agriculture and Forestry University, Tribhuvan University, the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control (DFTQC), Department of Livestock Services (DLS), the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Heifer International, the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), and Lutheran World Relief (LWR), among others. A Bangladeshi fisheries expert, Manjurul Karim, PhD, attending at the invitation of Dr. Neena Amatya Gorkhali, Director of Livestock and Fisheries Research at NARC, delivered a keynote presentation titled “Sustainable Fisheries for Food Security and Economic Growth in Nepal.” Drawing on experiences from Bangladesh, the speaker emphasized that fisheries is more than just a production sector—it is closely linked to food security, nutrition, livelihoods, income, and culture. The keynote also highlighted Nepal’s rich aquatic resources, including over 6,000 rivers and rivulets, thousands of lakes, wetlands, and reservoirs, underscoring the country’s strong potential for fisheries and aquaculture development. The presentation covered five key areas: sector context, strengths, growth opportunities, constraints, and the way forward. It identified key challenges such as the need for improved seed and feed systems, better farm management, strengthened fish health and biosecurity, enhanced market linkages, food safety, and increased private sector engagement. The speaker stressed that stronger collaboration among government agencies, academia, research institutions, development partners, and the private sector will be critical to unlocking the sector’s full potential. The keynote also referenced the Aquaculture Development in Nepal (ADNP) Project, supported by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) under its Food for Progress Program. Participants expressed optimism that such engagements will foster greater collaboration, knowledge exchange, and partnerships to support sustainable fisheries development and long-term food security in Nepal. |
