Kochi | An international workshop-cum-training programme on 'Fisheries Management and Aquaculture' for the member countries of the African-Asian Rural Development Organisation will begin at the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute here on December 11.

The programme is part of the international collaboration between the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India and the AARDO, New Delhi.

Rami Mahmoud Abdel Halim Qtaishat, Assistant Secretary General of the AARDO will inaugurate the workshop, a statement said here on Saturday.

Khushnood Ali, Head, Research Division and Programme Coordinator of AARDO will be the Guest of Honour at the function which will be presided by A Gopalakrishnan, Director of CMFRI, it said.

The 10-day workshop will provide exposure and hands-on experience on various areas including fisheries management, fish stock estimation, climate change impacts on fisheries and mitigation, responsible fisheries, aquaculture, good aquaculture practices, fish health and so on.

Participants of the workshop are from Oman, Egypt, Ghana, Namibia, Nigeria, Zambia, Malaysia and Bangladesh.

Suresh, V V R, Head, Mariculture Division of CMFRI is coordinating the programme, the statement said.

The AARDO, formed in 1962 with its headquarters at New Delhi, is an Inter-Governmental Organisation comprising 32 full member countries (18 from Africa and 14 from Asia) besides 2 associate members (Korea Rural Community Corporation, Republic of Korea and Agricultural Bank of Sudan), the statement said.

The Union Ministry of Rural Development is providing financial and technical contributions to the AARDO for the larger benefits of its member countries, it added.