Rahul calls for ensuring better safety, fair prices, respect for fishing communities across India

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday hailed fishing communities across India and called for ensuring for them better safety, fair prices, modern facilities and the "respect and dignity they truly deserve".

"On World Fisheries Day, my heart is with our fishing communities across India -- from the vast coasts of our seas to the rivers, lakes, and backwaters that flow through our land," the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha said on X.

"You keep our plates full and our economy moving. You are the guardians of our waters, the keepers of age-old wisdom, and an inseparable part of India's cultural fabric," Gandhi said.

He said he stands with the fishing communities of the country today and every day.

"Let us ensure better safety, fair prices, modern facilities, clean and healthy rivers and seas, good education for your children, and the respect and dignity you truly deserve," the former Congress chief said.

World Fisheries Day, observed on November 21, underscores the critical role of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture in supporting food and nutritional security, livelihood generation, and ecological balance.

The day traces its origins to 1997, when delegates from 18 countries met in New Delhi to establish the World Fisheries Forum, promoting responsible fishing practices and safeguarding the interests of fishing communities.

In India, the day holds particular significance, as the country is the second-largest producer of fish and aquaculture globally, and one of the world's leading shrimp producers.