India to build fleet for fishing in China-dominated deep seas

New policy to allow boats up to 200 nautical miles off coast, curb illegal fishing in high seas

- Vijay C. Roy

India is finalizing plans to develop a modern deepsea fishing fleet to serve twin objectives: expanding the area for boats to find catch by more than threefold, and also curbing illegal and unregulated fishing, according to an official from the fishery ministry who wished not to be quoted.

The ministry will release a framework to sustainably harness fish from the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and the high seas, stretching up to 200 nautical miles from the coast, the official said. At present, most Indian fishing activity is concentrated within 40-60 nautical miles, leaving nearly two-thirds of the zone untapped.

India is the largest fish-producing country after China, with about 8% share in the global output. The country saw a record production of 18.4 million tonnes in 2023-24. India is also one of the top seafood producers and exporting nations, with a total export value of ₹60,524 crore in FY24.