VIJAYAWADA: Highlighting the efforts being intensified and the need to ensure that coastal communities benefit directly from the sustainable use of marine biodiversity resources, the government conducted a one-day workshop for departments concerned on Wednesday.

The programme was jointly organised by the National Biodiversity Authority and the AP State Biodiversity Board, which focused on the implementation of the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) mechanism in the utilisation of marine biological resources. AP State Biodiversity Board Chairman Neelayapalem Vijay Kumar said, “The initiative is expected to open new avenues for economic growth in coastal regions while promoting biodiversity conservation. The State has emerged as a leader in ABS fund mobilisation, receiving Rs 97 crore out of Rs 145 crore disbursed nationwide so far.”

Chairman of the National Biodiversity Authority, Veerendra Tiwari, said “Based on this database, ABS funds will be collected from exporters according to turnover or product value and shared with fishing communities.”

Fisheries Commissioner Ramashankar Naik said AP, with a coastline of 1,053 km, 350 landing centres and 555 coastal villages, ranks first in the country in the fisheries sector. The state contributes nearly 38 per cent of India’s marine exports, valued at around Rs 27,000 crore in 2025-26.