The Ministry of External Affairs, in exercise of its powers under the Territorial Waters, Continental Shelf, Exclusive Economic Zone and Other Maritime Zones Act, 1976, has notified the Sustainable Harnessing of Fisheries in the Exclusive Economic Zone Rules, 2025. These new rules, effective immediately upon publication in the Official Gazette, establish a detailed framework for the exploration, exploitation, conservation, and management of fisheries resources within India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Access Pass Mandate and Process
The rules introduce a mandatory Access Pass system for specific vessels operating in the EEZ, managed through the web-enabled application portal ReALCRaft (Registration and Licensing of Fishing Craft).
Vessels Requiring Access Pass:
- All motorised fishing vessels having an overall length of twenty-four meters and above.
- All mechanised fishing vessels (using machine power for propulsion and fishing operations).
Motorised fishing vessels having an overall length less than twenty-four meters, except those exclusively engaged in fishing of tuna and tuna-like species.
The owner of a registered fishing vessel must apply through the ReALCRaft portal in Form I to the Verifying Officer of the concerned port. The Verifying Officer must verify the documents within two weeks and forward the application to the Issuing Authority (an officer not below the rank of Deputy Director in the Central Department of Fisheries).
The Issuing Authority must grant or refuse the pass within five to ten working days, specifying the permitted fishing type and area.
An Access Pass is valid for a period of three years and is non-transferable and vessel-specific. Renewal applications must be submitted at least thirty days before expiry.
Fisheries Management and Conservation
The Central Government is tasked with specifying comprehensive Fisheries Management Plans for the EEZ, developed in consultation with scientific institutions, coastal States, and fishers’ associations. These plans must be based on scientific information, aiming for objectives like Maximum Sustainable Yield.
Management actions may include:
- Spatial and temporal fishing closures.
- Fishing gear restrictions.
- Minimum legal size of fish for capture.
- Measures to address marine pollution and abandoned fishing gear.
- Identification and protection of Essential Fish Habitat (EFH).
Prohibitions and Illegal Activities
The rules explicitly prohibit several destructive practices in the EEZ (beyond territorial waters):
- Use of dynamite, explosives, poisons, or other destructive materials or methods, including pair trawling or bull trawling.
- Use or installation of surface or submerged artificial lights or LED lights for trawling, purse-seining, and gill netting operations.
- Capture of juvenile fish (species below the scientifically determined minimum legal size).
- Fishing in ‘No Fishing Zones’ or during ban periods.
- Vessels must comply with the National Plan of Action to prevent, deter, and eliminate illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Monitoring and Enforcement
Vessels with an Access Pass must operate from and return to their base port. The vessels must comply with sea safety requirements and conservation measures.
Every fisher and crew member must carry a QR-coded Aadhaar card or a Marine Fishers Digital Identity Card.
The Authorised Officer is responsible for monitoring, control, and surveillance at sea and must report any violation to the Adjudicating Officer and the Issuing Authority.
The Adjudicating Officer may impose pecuniary penalties based on the vessel’s overall length (less than 15 meters, 15m-24m, and 24m and above), with penalties for first contravention ranging up to 30,000 rupees, and up to 50,000 rupees for subsequent contravention for the largest vessels.
The Adjudicating Officer may also suspend the Access Pass for up to six months or cancel/revoke the pass.
Mid-Sea Transhipment and Catch Reporting
Mid-sea transhipment to a mother vessel is permitted, provided it complies with the measures of the relevant Regional Fisheries Management Organisation and guidelines from the Reserve Bank of India. The operator must intimate the Issuing Authority, the Registrar, and the Indian Coast Guard at least forty-eight hours in advance in Form III.
Fish harvested by Indian fishing vessels in the EEZ will be treated as Indian Origin and are not subject to any import duty or cess when landed at an Indian port.
The Marine Products Export Development Authority and the Export Inspection Council may issue catch certificates and health certificates, respectively, for traceability and export compliance, with applications integrated through the ReALCRaft portal.