India Approves Accession to Fisheries Pact SIOFA

The Central Government has approved India's accession to the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA), one of the two regional fisheries management organisations that govern the Indian Ocean. India has been only a Cooperating Non-Contracting Party (CNCP) of the agreement since 2022; as a full Contracting Party it gains a seat and a vote in the bodies that run the pact.

What India gains

• Indian-flagged vessels and enterprises may fish, with authorisation, for squid, toothfish, alfonsino and other non-migratory stocks inside SIOFA waters.
• Full membership of the Scientific Committee and the Compliance Committee, where India's say was limited so far, along with access to scientific data, research programmes and stock assessments.
• Legitimate fishing rights on the high seas and a recognised presence beside the fleets already operating there.
• A role in the High Seas Boarding and Inspection (HSBI) Scheme adopted under SIOFA, which also helps coastal security.
• A stronger hand against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The decision follows the Guidelines for High Sea Fisheries that the Government issued in December 2025, and gives the country's fleet a regional framework for moving into international waters. It is placed within India's Blue Economy goals.

Who holds the high seas today

The high seas make up roughly 65 per cent of the global ocean, and five countries or regions dominate fishing there.

The two Indian Ocean bodies

The Indian Ocean has two major regional fisheries management organisations. The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), of which India has been a contracting party since 1996, looks after highly migratory tuna and tuna-like species. SIOFA covers the rest: fish, molluscs, crustaceans and sedentary species in its area, while leaving out the highly migratory species listed in Annex I of UNCLOS and the sedentary species that fall under a coastal state's own fishery jurisdiction under Article 77(4) of UNCLOS.

Why it matters for fishers

Indian fishing boats today work mostly within 60 to 80 nautical miles of the exclusive economic zone. Membership is meant to push that limit outward, open fresh grounds for fishers and entrepreneurs, support the livelihoods of fishing communities and add to the national exchequer, including through access agreements in the exclusive economic zones of other countries. India's participation is also expected to help conserve marine resources and keep them viable in the long run.