Fishers Question Centre’s Recent Policy Move

Swift Summary

• The All India Deep Sea Fisher’s Association has raised concerns over the Union government’s decision to permit large vessels owned by Indian companies to operate in deep-sea areas beyond India’s sovereign maritime zone.
• Charles George,president of the association,highlighted these concerns in a letter addressed to Union Fisheries Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh after a meeting convened by the Fisheries Ministry on June 11.
• According to the government, permitting larger vessels will help tap untapped deep-sea resources; though, only 4% of India’s fish wealth is found in deep waters and accessing these resources requires significant fuel expenditure, making it economically unfeasible.
• The association argues that large vessels tend to encroach on near-shore zones due to shortages in deep waters and use powerful lights (1.5-4 lakh-watt LEDs) that attract fish from coastal areas. this adds strain on near-shore ecosystems and negatively impacts small-scale fishing operations.
• The group has called for modernising traditional fisheries with cooperative strengthening and fair subsidies while opposing industrial-scale deep-sea fishing due to potential ecological harm.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The debate reflects broader tensions between industrial expansion and sustainable practices within India’s fisheries sector. While permitting large vessels may offer avenues for resource exploration beyond sovereign maritime boundaries, its actual viability appears limited given data indicating only 4% of fish wealth lies in those waters-coupled with high operational costs. Concerns about ecosystem disruption are particularly pressing as near-shore zones already face ecological strain alongside socio-economic challenges for smaller fishermen.

Revitalising small-scale fisheries as suggested by the All India Deep Sea Fisher’s Association could yield long-term benefits through modernisation efforts aimed at economic resilience rather than potentially inequitable exploitation via industrial practices. Balancing economic ambitions with environmental sustainability remains crucial as such policies unfold.

Read more: published – July 19, 2025