The seventh Jellyfish Blooms Symposium (JBS7), which concluded here on Saturday, has called for efforts to promote the consumption of jellyfish and value-added products from them by raising consumer awareness in the country.
In India, jellyfish caught as by-catches are at present treated as a waste product of fisheries. They need to be re-evaluated as an important source of high-value compounds within the context of a circular and sustainable economy, the symposium, organised by the department of aquatic biology and Fisheries, University of Kerala, and ICAR- Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), said.
“Jellyfish are more than a nuisance, and an ecosystem-based fisheries management approach, including the socio-economic benefits, needs to be emphasised for developing effective management strategies,” it said.
Research into deep sea jellies and bloom dynamics, coupled with advancements in jellyfish processing and market development, will play a crucial role in this endeavour, the symposium added. The symposium also selected University College, Cork, Ireland, as the host for the eighth edition (JBS8) of the international symposium.
