Why in the News?
The Centre has issued new rules for Deep-Sea Fishing within India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to enhance sustainability, digital governance, and fisher empowerment.
About the New Deep-Sea Fishing Rules:
- Objective: To enable a shift from near-shore to deep-sea fishing, expand exports, and adopt digitally monitored, eco-friendly fishing practices.
- Key Features:
- Domestic Priority: Fishermen Cooperatives and Fish Farmer Producer Organisations (FFPOs) get first rights to operate advanced deep-sea vessels.
- Mother-and-Child Vessel Model: A large “mother” vessel supported by smaller “child” crafts for mid-sea transhipment– crucial for Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep, which together hold ~49% of India’s EEZ.
- Digital Access and Traceability: Mechanised vessels must secure Access Passes via the ReALCraft portal; linked with MPEDA and EIC for traceability, sanitary certification, and eco-labelling.
- Foreign Vessel Ban: Absolute prohibition on foreign vessels operating in Indian EEZ to safeguard domestic and small-scale fishers.
- Ban on Destructive Practices: LED-light fishing, pair trawling, and bull trawling banned; minimum legal catch sizes and Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) to be developed with states.
- Origin Status Recognition: Catches from India’s EEZ beyond the contiguous zone to be treated as “Indian origin” for customs, avoiding import treatment.
- Capacity Building and Credit: Fisher training, processing, and export support integrated with PM Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) and Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF).
- Safety and Monitoring: Mandatory transponders, QR-coded Fisher IDs, and Nabhmitra-linked navigation; monitoring by Coast Guard and Navy.
Back2Basics: Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
- Definition: Under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), an EEZ extends 200 nautical miles (~370 km) from a coastal baseline, granting sovereign rights to exploit marine resources.
- Rights of Coastal States: Include resource exploration, marine research, environmental protection, and installation of artificial structures.
- Distinction from Territorial Sea: The territorial sea (12 nm) grants full sovereignty; the EEZ confers resource jurisdiction while preserving navigation and overflight rights of other nations.
- Indian Context:
- EEZ: Spans ~2.30 million km², one of the world’s largest, supporting fisheries, hydrocarbons, and seabed minerals.
- Legal Framework: Governed by The Territorial Waters, Continental Shelf, EEZ and Other Maritime Zones Act, 1976, providing India’s legal basis for EEZ management.
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