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Union Minister to launch access pass for fishing in India’s exclusive economic zone at Veraval
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Saturday, 21 February, 2026, 12 : 00 PM [IST]
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Our Bureau, Mumbai
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Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh Alias Lalan Singh, Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, has announced the launch of a new Access Pass for fishing in India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The launch event was scheduled at Veraval, highlighting the government’s commitment to sustainable marine fisheries development, enhanced livelihoods for fishing communities and increased seafood exports.
India’s maritime domain includes an 11,099 km coastline and an EEZ of approximately 24 lakh sq km, representing vast untapped potential for sustainable offshore fishing, particularly for high-value species such as tuna. Despite this, most fishing activity remains within 40–50 nautical miles of the coast, under-utilising the deep-sea resources.
To harness this potential, the Government of India has notified the Sustainable Harnessing of Fisheries in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), 2025 rules under the Territorial Waters, Continental Shelf, Exclusive Economic Zone and Other Maritime Zones Act, 1976. The new rules, which form a robust legal and institutional framework, aim to promote responsible utilisation of marine fisheries resources while ensuring traceability and compliance across the seafood value chain.
A key feature of the EEZ Rules is the introduction of a transparent and legally backed Access Pass Framework for authorised fishing operations in the EEZ. The pass is designed to empower Indian fishers, particularly traditional and small-scale operators, to operate further offshore, augment incomes and meet export standards related to traceability and certification.
The government has also developed a National Framework on traceability in fisheries and aquaculture to support quality assurance, safety, digital integration and end-to-end certification. Alongside these initiatives, strategic development of fisheries production and processing clusters, including the Fishing Harbour Cluster at Veraval, will further strengthen India’s seafood export ecosystem.
The launch of the Access Pass reflects India’s transition toward a more sustainable, transparent and fisher-centric deep-sea fisheries governance regime—boosting livelihoods, enhancing export competitiveness and advancing the national vision of a thriving Blue Economy.
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