Centre notifies new deep-sea fishing rules

In a significant move to unlock the potential of India's vast marine resources, the Centre has notified new rules for deep-sea fishing in the country's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), with a focus on empowering fishermen, cooperatives and small-scale fishers, while banning foreign vessels from operating in Indian waters.

- 

The rules, notified, November 4, fulfil the Budget 2025-26 announcements and are expected to open new avenues for India's marine fisheries sector, particularly in tapping high-value tuna resources that have remained largely underutilised despite neighbouring countries harvesting them in the Indian Ocean region, the fishery ministry said in a statement.

The new framework prioritises Fishermen Cooperative Societies and Fish Farmer Producer Organisations (FFPOs) for undertaking deep-sea fishing operations using technologically advanced vessels.

A key innovation is the introduction of the mother-and-child vessel concept, which allows mid-sea transhipment under Reserve Bank of India (RBI) regulations, particularly beneficial for the Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands, which account for 49 per cent of India's EEZ area.

To protect the marine ecosystem, the rules ban harmful fishing practices such as LED light fishing, pair trawling and bull trawling.