The Indian Ocean has seen unprecedented activity in the first half of this year. Indian Navy vessels have reported monitoring over 200 Chinese fishing vessels, despite a rise in Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing beyond the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). This has triggered concern for the fisheries sector and the associated initiatives.
Understanding Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing
IUU fishing is a broad term encompassing various fishing activities that contravene legal and regulatory frameworks. This issue spans all types, dimensions, and stages of fisheries, both on the high seas and within national jurisdiction. It’s often linked to organized crime and threatens national and regional strategies to manage and preserve fish stocks. In effect, IUU fishing hampers progress towards long-term sustainability and responsibility in the sector.
State of India’s Fisheries Sector: A Brief Overview
India currently ranks as the world’s second-largest fish-producing country, accounting for 7.56% of global production. The sector contributes approximately 1.24% to India’s Gross Value Added (GVA) and over 7.28% to the agricultural GVA. With a target of producing 22 million metric tonnes of fish by 2024-25, the industry fuels employment for 14.5 million people and sustains livelihood for a 28 million-strong fishermen community.
Over the years, the fisheries sector has undergone three significant transformations: growth of inland freshwater aquaculture, mechanization of capture fisheries, and successful implementation of brackish water shrimp aquaculture.
Government Initiatives Supporting the Fisheries Sector
Several initiatives have been launched to support the growth and development of the fisheries sector. These include:
1. Development of five major Fishing Harbours, such as Kochi, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Paradip, and Petuaghat, to serve as hubs of economic activity.
2. Establishment of a multipurpose seaweed park in Tamil Nadu to be the center of quality seaweed-based product production.
3. Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, aiming to create direct and indirect employment for a significant number of people and double the incomes of fishers, fish farmers and fish workers by 2024.
4. Palk Bay Scheme, launched in 2017 under the umbrella Blue Revolution Scheme, promoting diversification of trawl fishing boats into deep-sea fishing boats.
5. Proposal of the Marine Fisheries Bill, 2021, limiting license grants to vessels registered under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958, to fish in the EEZ.
Measures to Tackle Illegal Fishing
To combat IUU fishing, an array of initiatives have been implemented:
1. In May 2022, the Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) was announced to provide an accurate maritime picture of near-real-time activities in the region and address IUU issues in the Indo-Pacific region.
2. The Indian Navy’s Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) monitors all vessel movements on the high seas and collaborates with global regional monitoring centers to enhance maritime safety and security, including monitoring of IUU.
3. As per United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), coastal nations must address IUU fishing issues within their respective EEZs.
4. Although India is not a signatory of the Cape Town Agreement or the Agreement on Ports State Measures, these international agreements aim to set minimum requirements for fishing vessels and implement effective port State measures to combat IUU fishing.
Finally, the United Nations General Assembly declared 5th June as the International Day for the Fight against IUU Fishing in November 2017, emphasizing the global effort to tackle this issue.
Last Modified: February 18, 2024