Government Considers Increasing Cost of Deep-Sea Fishing Vessels

The Indian government is contemplating a significant increase in the unit cost of deep-sea fishing vessels under the Palk Bay Scheme, with hopes to make it more appealing to the fishing community. This comes on the heels of the Marine Fisheries Bill 2021, which was introduced during the Parliament’s Monsoon session.

Understanding the Palk Bay Scheme

Launched in 2017 as part of the overarching Blue Revolution initiative, the Palk Bay Scheme’s formal title is “Diversification of Trawl Fishing Boats from Palk Straits into Deep Sea Fishing Boats”. The core focus of the scheme is the Tamil Nadu region, aiming to supply 2,000 vessels in three years to local fishermen and encouraging them to shift away from bottom trawling.

Bottom trawling, a harmful ecological practice, involves dragging heavily weighted nets across the sea-bed, leading to significant depletion of aquatic resources. By providing alternate fishing vessels, the scheme aims to minimize this destructive activity.

Another objective is to lessen the fishing pressure near the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL). This will deter Tamil Nadu fishermen from crossing over into Sri Lankan waters for their catch. Funding for the scheme stems from multiple sources: 50% contributed by the Centre, 20% by the State, 10% institutional funding, and the remaining 20% by the beneficiaries. Initially, the scheme was capped at vessels costing up to Rs. 80 Lakh. However, this could change with the proposed increase.

Marine Fisheries Bill: Key Proposals

The newly tabled Marine Fisheries Bill suggests granting licenses solely to vessels registered under the Merchant Shipping Act of 1958. These registered vessels will then be permitted to fish in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The bill also presents penalties for fishing violations such as breaching the EEZ without a license, disregarding the commands of the Indian Coast Guard, and obstructing officials.

Foreign fishing vessels would be prohibited from fishing in these areas, effectively nationalising our EEZ. Furthermore, the bill proposes social security measures for fish workers and calls for the safeguarding of lives at sea during critical weather events.

Defining Maritime Zones

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982, ratified by India in 1995, classifies sea and marine resources into three distinct zones: the Internal Waters (IW), the Territorial Sea (TS), and the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Internal Waters include small bays and gulfs on the landward side of the baseline, while the Territorial Sea extends up to 12 nautical miles from the baseline. Coastal nations have full sovereignty over the airspace, sea, seafloor, subsoil, and all living and non-living resources within these limits.

The EEZ, on the other hand, extends up to 200 nautical miles from the baseline. Within this zone, coastal nations have exclusive rights to explore, exploit, conserve, and manage all natural resources. As fisheries is a state matter, fishing in the IW and TS falls under the jurisdiction of the respective states, while activities in the EEZ are union-controlled.