The Fourth Bay of Bengal Maritime Dialogue, co-hosted by the Pathfinder_Foundation and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), was held at Colombo, Sri Lanka during 7th and 8th May 2024. Amb. Indra Mani Pandey, Secretary General, BIMSTEC was the Guest of Honour.

 

The Dialogue brought together diplomats, experts, and researchers from the Bay of Bengal Rim countries and beyond to provide a platform for informal discussions on maritime affairs in the Bay of Bengal, identify new avenues for regional collaboration, and address potential challenges to constructive engagement among littoral states. Key topics included maritime governance, crisis management, disaster management, and sustainable fisheries.

 

Dr. P. Krishnan, Director, BOBP-IGO, delivered a lead talk titled "Transboundary Fisheries Management in the Bay of Bengal: From Cooperation to Action," emphasizing the need for collaboration in managing shared fish stocks. Dr. Krishnan highlighted that over 50% of South Asian and more than 60% of Southeast Asian fish stocks are shared, underscoring the necessity of collaborative management. He emphasized the importance of initiatives like the Bay of Bengal Stock Assessment Network (BOB-SAN) and BIMSTEC-India Marine Research Network (BIMReN) in strengthening marine science research and collaborative stock assessment.

 

The proposal from BOBP to establish a research vessel network in the region was well received. BOBP committed to prepare a roadmap for the same, jointly with HD. Amb. Venu Rajamony moderated the session.