Central Act for regulating fishing in EEZ

New Delhi, May 15 (UNI) The Government is finalising a new Central Act for regulating fisheries and fishing in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to regulate deep-sea fishing.

Presiding over the Parliamentary Consultative Committee here today, Union Minister of Agriculture, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Sharad Pawar informed the members that institutional and legal mechanisms are being put in place to regulate deep-sea fishing.

Recently an Inter-Ministerial Empowered Committee was been set up to oversee deep-sea fisheries development. The National Fisheries Development Board, set up last year, would address development needs of deep-sea sector as well, he added.

Emphasising the importance of deep-sea fisheries, the minister explained that out of the country's marine fisheries potential at 3.93 million tonnes, about 3 million tonnes comes from the inshore belt where there is very little scope for further augmenting fish production. The major bulk of exploitable surplus of 0.8 million tonnes, thus, lies in the offshore/deep sea belt.

The Minister said effectively exploiting deep-sea fishery potential is a challenge because deep-sea fishing is highly capital intensive and technology driven.

Empowering the indigenous fleet for deep-sea fishing, acquisition of modern technology, human resource development and post harvest support including marketing support are the key elements for developing our deep sea fishing sector.

The meeting was also attended by Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandary and Dairying, Charusheela Sohoni, Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, Shri Yashwant Bhave and senior officers of the Ministry.

UNI