Why is it in the News?

The golden trevally, a popular marine fish on Tamil Nadu’s coastline, has been successfully bred in captivity by scientists at ICAR-CMFRI’s Visakhapatnam station.

What is Golden trevally Fish?

• The Golden Trevally (Gnathanodon speciosus), also known as the Golden Kingfish or Banded Trevally, is a popular and fascinating marine fish species found in the Indo-Pacific and Eastern Pacific regions.
• It typically inhabits deep lagoons and seaward reefs, often in association with larger fish species.
• This fish is highly sought-after for both consumption and ornamental purposes due to its faster growth rates, good meat quality, and attractive appearance.
• According to fish landing observations in India, golden trevally are primarily landed at reef area fishing grounds in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, Karnataka, and Gujarat.

About the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI):

• CMFRI was established in 1947 under India's Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
• It joined the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in 1967.

The institute's primary objectives include:

• Monitoring exploited marine fisheries resources and assessing under-exploited resources within India's Exclusive Economic Zone.
• Understanding fluctuations in marine fisheries resources in response to environmental changes.
• Developing sustainable mariculture technologies for finfish, shellfish, and other organisms to supplement capture fishery production.
• The CMFRI's notable achievements include developing the "Stratified Multistage Random Sampling Method" for estimating fishery catch and effort along India's 8,000 km coastline.
• Headquartered in Kochi, Kerala, the institute continues to contribute significantly to the growth and development of India's marine fisheries sector.

Why is it in the News?

The Indian Navy successfully intercepted and apprehended a dhow in the Western Arabian Sea recently and seized 940 kilograms of contraband narcotics.

About the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF):

• The Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) is a Bahrain-based multinational naval partnership dedicated to fostering security, stability, and prosperity throughout vital international waterways.
• Comprised of five task forces, CMF's primary objectives include countering terrorism, preventing piracy, enhancing regional cooperation, and maintaining a safe maritime environment.
• CMF's efforts focus on eliminating violent extremism and terrorist networks in its operational areas, collaborating with regional and global partners to bolster security and stability, assisting in capacity-building for regional maritime capabilities, and responding to environmental and humanitarian crises when needed.
• The five task forces within CMF are:
  • CTF 150: Gulf of Oman Security and Counter-Terrorism
  • CTF 151: Counter-piracy operations
  • CTF 152: Arabian Gulf Security and Cooperation
  • CTF 153: Red Sea and Gulf of Aden security and cooperation
  • CTF 154: Maritime security training
• CMF comprises a diverse group of nations, each voluntarily contributing to the organization's efforts to maintain security and stability in international waters.
• Participating nations include:
  • Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, India, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, Türkiye, UAE, United Kingdom, United States, and Yemen.
• Members have the flexibility to contribute in various ways, from providing liaison officers at CMF's headquarters in Bahrain to supplying warships, support vessels, and maritime reconnaissance aircraft.
  • CMF can also request support from warships not explicitly assigned to the organization.
• The headquarters of CMF is co-located with the US Naval Central Command and US Navy Fifth Fleet at Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain.
• CMF is commanded by a US Navy Vice Admiral, with a UK Royal Navy Commodore serving as the Deputy Commander. Senior staff roles at CMF's headquarters are filled by personnel from member nations, ensuring a diverse and collaborative environment.
• Together, these task forces enable CMF to effectively address a wide range of challenges and promote a more secure maritime domain for all nations.