Centre Notifies Rules for Deep-Sea Fishing in EEZ, Pg 11.

Key Highlights:

• Rules aim to facilitate deep-sea fishing in India’s EEZ and improve seafood exports through traceability, certification, and value addition.
• Priority is given to Fishermen Cooperatives and FFPOs to manage advanced deep-sea vessels.
• Introduction of mother-and-child vessel model to enable mid-sea transshipment and improve export of high-quality fish.
• Strong stance taken against harmful fishing practices such as LED fishing, pair trawling, and bull trawling.
• Training and capacity-building support will be provided to traditional and small-scale fishers.
• The rules require catch certification and health certificates through digital verification portals integrated with ReALCRaft system.

Detailed Insights:

• Economic & Livelihood Impact:
  • Deep-sea fishing enhances access to high-value fish species beyond coastal zones, supporting export-oriented blue economy growth.
  • Enabling cooperatives ensures greater profit sharing and reduces dependence on large corporate fleets.
• Environmental Safeguards:
  • Harmful gears disrupt marine ecosystems and deplete breeding stocks; banning them aligns with marine biodiversity conservation goals.
  • A minimum legal size for catch and Fisheries Management Plans will help restore fish stocks and prevent overexploitation.
• Island Region Focus:
  • Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep together cover ~49% of India’s EEZ.
  • The new vessel model will expand offshore fishing opportunities and reduce pressure on nearshore marine habitats.
• Value Chain Strengthening:
  • Ensuring proper catch certification via Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) is critical for global market access, especially EU and Japan.

Scientific/Technical Concepts Involved:

• Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ): Area up to 200 nautical miles from coastline where a state has sovereign rights over marine resources.
• Mid-Sea Transshipment: Transfer of catch at sea to larger vessels, reducing travel time and improving freshness.
• Mariculture: Sea-based aquaculture activities like seaweed and sea cage farming, used to diversify income sources.