Key Details
The government’s decision concerns India’s status in a regional fisheries agreement, as well as the fishing opportunities and conservation responsibilities that membership would bring.
Decision: The Central Government has approved India’s accession to the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA). India has participated as a Cooperating Non-Contracting Party since 2022; the approval is a step towards becoming a Contracting Party.
Fishing covered: SIOFA governs specified fishery resources in its southern Indian Ocean high-seas area, including squid, toothfish and alfonsino. Highly migratory tuna and tuna-like species fall outside its remit.
What membership would change: India would participate more fully in SIOFA’s scientific and compliance bodies, including decisions informed by stock assessments—estimates of the condition of fish populations. Indian-flagged vessels could pursue fishing opportunities subject to authorisation and applicable conservation rules.
Existing framework: India has been a member of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission since 1996 and issued national Guidelines for High Sea Fisheries in December 2025.
India Seeks a Fuller Say in Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries
India already cooperates with SIOFA, but its non-contracting status limits its role in decision-making. Becoming a Contracting Party would give it fuller participation in the Scientific and Compliance Committees and access to the research and stock assessments used to manage fishing in the agreement’s area. The government has approved that move; India’s formal accession remains a separate step.
This is also an expansion into a different set of fisheries from those covered by India’s longstanding membership of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission. SIOFA’s scope includes squid and other non-highly-migratory resources in its area of the high seas—the waters beyond national jurisdiction.
Fishing Access Comes with Conservation Obligations
The prospective opportunity is regulated access, not unrestricted fishing. Vessels would need to operate under the agreement’s authorisation and conservation measures. India would also participate in scientific assessments and efforts to prevent illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
SIOFA has adopted a High Seas Boarding and Inspection scheme, which the government says is set to be implemented. Participation would give India a role in that oversight system as its high-seas fishing activity develops.
Policy Relevance
The decision connects India’s 2025 high-seas fishing guidelines to a regional system that can govern where and how its fleet expands. For the Department of Fisheries, the immediate task is to carry the approved accession through to membership; for fishing enterprises, any commercial opportunity will depend on vessel readiness, authorisation and compliance with SIOFA rules.
Membership would also let India contribute to the evidence and decisions that determine sustainable catch, rather than treating access to new grounds solely as an expansion target. Fishing opportunities and benefits for coastal livelihoods remain prospective, not outcomes established by this approval.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: As India moves towards SIOFA membership, what vessel, scientific and compliance capabilities will it need before Indian fishers can make sustainable use of the new opportunities?
Follow the Full Release Here: Central Government Approves India’s Accession to the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement