Although India’s marine mammals may have the highest level of legal protection, large gaps in knowledge about their populations and deaths linked to fishing remain a concern. Against this backdrop, the Fishery Survey of India (FSI) has begun a two-day national workshop at Mumbai’s World Trade Centre to draft the country’s 2027–2032 action plan for marine mammal protection.

The workshop, titled “Marine Mammal Conservation: Science, Fisheries & Community Action,” brings together fisheries scientists, marine mammal experts, enforcement agencies, conservation NGOs and fisher cooperatives to address critical gaps in marine mammal data.