In order to prevent illegal fishing in India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the government has drafted a new Bill that aims to regulate fishing beyond the country’s territorial waters, according to sources.

The Bill on regulation and managing fishing in the EEZ, which has been drafted by the fisheries ministry and is yet to get Cabinet approval, assumes significance in the backdrop of growing illegal fishing in the zone.

What is Exclusive Economic Zone?

An Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is a concept adopted at the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (1982), whereby a coastal state assumes jurisdiction over the exploration and exploitation of marine resources in its adjacent section of the continental shelf, taken to be a band extending 200 nautical miles (370 km) from the shore.

India, with a coastline of 7,500 km, has an EEZ of about 2.37 million sq km wherein the country enjoys the exclusive legal right to utilise all living and non-living resources. The Andaman Islands account for 30 per cent of India’s EEZ.

While territorial sea is a state subject, the EEZ is governed by the central government.

“At present, a state government governs the territorial sea up to 12 nautical miles. Beyond that is India’s EEZ and there is no law governing this zone. As a result, anybody can come and fish in this area,” a source said.

What are the highlights of the draft Bill?

The objective of the Bill is to issue licence for fishing in the EEZ and curb illegal fishing from countries like China, a source said.

Under the proposed Bill, state governments will be allowed to issue licence for fishing in EEZ as per the central government’s direction because fishermen who want to fish in the EEZ have to cross the territorial sea which is governed by the states, the source added.

“Only our fishermen with licence will be able to fish in the EEZ. Fishermen safety will be taken care of. No foreign vessels can enter this zone except with a right to passage which they have to apply,” another source said.

The Bill also proposes to impose a heavy penalty on fishermen venturing into the EEZ without a legal permit and after the third offence, their vessels / boats will be impounded, the source said.

Besides, the government proposes to make monitoring, control and surveillance of fishing vessels under the proposed law, the source added.

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