The new rules accord priority to fishermen cooperative societies and fish farmer producer organizations (FFPOs) undertaking deep-sea fishing operations and running technologically advanced vessels in India’s 2.3 million sq. km EEZ. The EEZ is an area that extends seawards to a maximum of 200 nautical miles from the baseline, or the low-water line along the coast.
This boost for 5 million fishermen across 13 coastal states and Union Territories comes in the backdrop of countries including Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Indonesia, Iran and several European nations harvesting significant quantities of tuna in the Indian Ocean.
Mint explains how the new rules will empower fishermen and cooperatives.
How do the new rules protect the interests of small-scale fishers?
Indian fishing vessels have largely remained confined to nearshore waters and lag behind in deep-sea exploitation. The new rules declare that fish caught in India’s EEZ (beyond the contiguous zone) will be treated as of Indian origin and not as imports when brought to Indian ports. This will help India record these catches properly and increase export earnings.
To protect small-scale fishers, the rules call for a National Plan of Action to stop illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. The rules make the use of transponders mandatory, which improves the safety and tracking of fishermen and their boats in deep-sea areas.
The identification of fishermen and fishing vessels is ensured through the mandatory use of QR-coded Aadhaar cards and fisher ID cards. These steps will help agencies such as the Indian Coast Guard and the Navy strengthen coastal security.
How will the government support fishermen across the value chain?
The government will extend comprehensive support to fishers and their cooperatives as well as FFPOs through overseas exposure visits and capacity-building initiatives across the entire value chain, including processing, value addition, marketing, branding, and exports. Access to easy and affordable credit will be facilitated through flagship schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana and the Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund .
Fishery management plans will be developed in consultation with stakeholders including state governments to restore declining fish stocks. These measures will benefit small-scale fishers and their cooperatives, enabling them to access deep-sea resources, earn higher incomes, and export high-value species like tuna to global markets.
Export earnings rose to ₹64,708 crore in FY24, roughly double the value recorded in FY14. Yet, most fishing activity remains confined to coastal and inland waters. In such a scenario, the new rules, notified on 4 November, will go a long way in promoting deep-sea fishing.
How will the new rules enhance skills for deep-sea fishing?
Under the rules, the central government will provide traditional and small-scale fishers including fishery cooperatives, self-help groups and FFPOs training and capacity-building to enhance skills for deep-sea fishing, value-chain efficiencies and managing technologically advanced vessels.
This initiative is expected to open new horizons for the Indian marine fisheries sector through the creation of modern infrastructure and the introduction of the mother-and-child vessel concept. Under this initiative, a large, technologically advanced vessel (the mother vessel) supports one or more smaller fishing vessels (the child vessels) during deep-sea fishing.
In the Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep, which together account for 49% of India’s EEZ area, the use of mother-and-child vessels will boost the export of high-quality fish.
Are foreign fishing vessels allowed access to EEZs under the new rules?
Foreign fishing vessels are not allowed to operate in India’s EEZ under any arrangement in order to safeguard the interests of small-scale fishers. Under the EEZ rules, an access pass is required for mechanized and large-sized Indian motorized vessels, which can be obtained free of cost through the ReALCRaft (Registration And Licensing of Fishing Craft) portal of the Department of Fisheries. Traditional and small-scale fishers operating motorized or non-motorized fishing craft are exempted from obtaining an access pass.
The system is designed to be fully digital and time-bound, allowing boat owners to apply with minimal documentation. The integrated digital system ensures end-to-end traceability, sanitary compliance and eco-labelling, enhancing the global competitiveness of Indian marine products.
How many fishing vessels are there in India?
Currently, about 238,000 fishing vessels from nine coastal states and four Union Territories are registered on the government portal, including about 132,000 motorized boats and 40,461 non-motorized traditional craft. These registered vessels will be exempt from needing access passes to fish in India’s EEZ.
However, 64,187 mechanized fishing vessels will still be required to obtain access passes for operating in the EEZ.
“The new notification is a positive step in this direction. However, India currently lacks a sufficient number of modern deep-sea fishing vessels, which limits our ability to fully tap the vast resources available in its Exclusive Economic Zone,” said Alex K Ninan, vice president of the Seafood Exporters Association of India.