If you are preparing for an ICAR, ARS, state fisheries or fisheries-extension examination, one topic shows up again and again: the laws and policies that govern Indian fisheries. Questions on the Indian Fisheries Act, the Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act, state Marine Fishing Regulation Acts and flagship schemes like PMMSY are cheap marks for a candidate who has revised them once — and easy marks to lose for one who has not.
This set gives you 20 multiple-choice questions on Indian fisheries acts and policies, followed by an answer key with a short explanation for every question. Try the questions first without looking at the key, then read the explanations: each one states the fact the examiner is actually testing.
Note on the banner image: it is an illustration of an Indian fishing harbour, not a photograph of any institution or event mentioned in the questions.
Revision table: the acts you must know
| Indian Fisheries Act | 1897 | India’s oldest fisheries law; prohibits fishing with dynamite and poisoning of water, and empowers governments to make rules on closed seasons, mesh size and size limits |
| Territorial Waters, Continental Shelf, EEZ and other Maritime Zones Act | 1976 | Defines India’s territorial sea (12 nautical miles) and Exclusive Economic Zone (200 nautical miles) |
| Maritime Zones of India (Regulation of Fishing by Foreign Vessels) Act | 1981 | Regulates fishing by foreign vessels in India’s maritime zones |
| MPEDA Act | 1972 | Establishes the Marine Products Export Development Authority for seafood export promotion |
| Wildlife (Protection) Act | 1972 | Protects listed marine species, including the whale shark under Schedule I |
| Environment (Protection) Act | 1986 | Umbrella environment law; the Coastal Regulation Zone Notification (1991) was issued under it |
| Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act | 2005 | Regulates coastal aquaculture; registration valid for five years; no coastal aquaculture within 200 metres of the High Tide Line; freshwater aquaculture is excluded |
| State Marine Fishing Regulation Acts (MFRAs) | From 1980 (Kerala), 1981 (Maharashtra), 1986 (Karnataka) and others | State laws regulating fishing in territorial waters: licensing, mesh size, zonation for traditional and mechanised sectors, and closed seasons |
| Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) | Launched 10 September 2020 | Flagship fisheries scheme, Rs 20,050 crore for FY 2020-21 to 2024-25, later extended to FY 2025-26; includes group accident insurance for fishers |
| Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY) | 2023-24 to 2026-27 | Central-sector sub-scheme under PMMSY, Rs 6,000 crore, focused on formalisation and enterprise support |
The 20 questions
Q1. In which year was the Indian Fisheries Act enacted?
(a) 1879 (b) 1897 (c) 1905 (d) 1923
Q2. The Indian Fisheries Act, 1897, specifically prohibits which destructive fishing practice?
(a) Trawling beyond 12 nautical miles (b) Fishing with dynamite and poisoning of water (c) Export of fish without a licence (d) Fishing by foreign vessels
Q3. Under the Constitution of India, fishing and fisheries beyond territorial waters fall under which list?
(a) State List (b) Concurrent List (c) Union List (d) Residuary powers
Q4. What is the breadth of India’s territorial sea under the Maritime Zones Act, 1976?
(a) 6 nautical miles (b) 12 nautical miles (c) 24 nautical miles (d) 200 nautical miles
Q5. How far does India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) extend from the baseline?
(a) 12 nautical miles (b) 24 nautical miles (c) 100 nautical miles (d) 200 nautical miles
Q6. The Coastal Aquaculture Authority was established under which Act?
(a) Indian Fisheries Act, 1897 (b) Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (c) Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act, 2005 (d) MPEDA Act, 1972
Q7. Under the Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act, 2005, which type of aquaculture is expressly excluded from the definition of “coastal aquaculture”?
(a) Shrimp farming (b) Freshwater aquaculture (c) Brackishwater fish farming (d) Mariculture in pens
Q8. For how many years is a coastal aquaculture farm registration valid under the Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act, 2005?
(a) One year (b) Three years (c) Five years (d) Ten years
Q9. Under the Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act, 2005, no coastal aquaculture may be carried on within what distance of the High Tide Line?
(a) 50 metres (b) 100 metres (c) 200 metres (d) 500 metres
Q10. The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) was established under an Act of which year?
(a) 1962 (b) 1972 (c) 1982 (d) 1992
Q11. The National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) was established in September 2006 and is headquartered at which city?
(a) Kochi (b) Chennai (c) Hyderabad (d) Mumbai
Q12. Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) was launched on 10 September 2020 with a total estimated investment of how much?
(a) Rs 10,000 crore (b) Rs 15,050 crore (c) Rs 20,050 crore (d) Rs 25,000 crore
Q13. PMMSY was originally planned for FY 2020-21 to 2024-25 and was later extended to which financial year?
(a) FY 2025-26 (b) FY 2026-27 (c) FY 2027-28 (d) FY 2029-30
Q14. Fishing by foreign vessels in India’s maritime zones is regulated under which Act?
(a) Indian Fisheries Act, 1897 (b) Maritime Zones of India (Regulation of Fishing by Foreign Vessels) Act, 1981 (c) Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act, 2005 (d) Merchant Shipping Act, 1958
Q15. State Marine Fishing Regulation Acts (MFRAs) typically regulate all of the following EXCEPT:
(a) Licensing of fishing vessels (b) Mesh size and gear restrictions (c) Closed seasons and zonation (d) Fixing of retail fish prices in city markets
Q16. Kerala’s Marine Fishing Regulation Act dates to which year?
(a) 1972 (b) 1980 (c) 1991 (d) 2005
Q17. The whale shark is protected in India under Schedule I of which Act?
(a) Indian Fisheries Act, 1897 (b) Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (c) Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (d) Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act, 2005
Q18. The Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification of 1991 was issued under which Act?
(a) Indian Fisheries Act, 1897 (b) Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (c) Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (d) Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974
Q19. PM-MKSSY is a sub-scheme under PMMSY with an outlay of Rs 6,000 crore for which period?
(a) 2020-21 to 2024-25 (b) 2021-22 to 2025-26 (c) 2023-24 to 2026-27 (d) 2024-25 to 2028-29
Q20. Under the Group Accident Insurance Scheme (GAIS) for fishers under PMMSY, the insurance cover for death is:
(a) Rs 1 lakh (b) Rs 2.5 lakh (c) Rs 5 lakh (d) Rs 10 lakh
Answer key with explanations
| 1 — (b) 1897 | India’s oldest fisheries legislation; it remains the base law that later state rules supplement. |
| 2 — (b) Dynamite and poisoning | The 1897 Act prohibits using explosives/dynamite and poisoning water to catch fish, and empowers governments to frame rules on closed seasons, mesh size and fish size. |
| 3 — (c) Union List | Entry 57 of List I covers fishing and fisheries beyond territorial waters; Entry 21 of List II covers fisheries within territorial waters, which is why states enact their own MFRAs. |
| 4 — (b) 12 nautical miles | Under the Territorial Waters, Continental Shelf, EEZ and other Maritime Zones Act, 1976. |
| 5 — (d) 200 nautical miles | The EEZ extends 200 nautical miles from the baseline under the same 1976 Act; the 24-nautical-mile zone is the contiguous zone. |
| 6 — (c) CAA Act, 2005 | The Act (No. 24 of 2005) received the President’s assent on 23 June 2005 and established the Coastal Aquaculture Authority to regulate coastal aquaculture. |
| 7 — (b) Freshwater aquaculture | The Act’s definition of coastal aquaculture covers saline/brackishwater culture and expressly states it does not include freshwater aquaculture. |
| 8 — (c) Five years | Section 13 of the CAA Act, 2005: registration is valid for five years. |
| 9 — (c) 200 metres | Section 13(8) of the CAA Act, 2005: no coastal aquaculture within 200 metres of the High Tide Line, and none in creeks, rivers and backwaters within the CRZ. |
| 10 — (b) 1972 | The MPEDA Act, 1972, created the Marine Products Export Development Authority, headquartered at Kochi. |
| 11 — (c) Hyderabad | NFDB was set up in September 2006 at Hyderabad and is the nodal agency for PMMSY training, awareness and capacity-building programmes. |
| 12 — (c) Rs 20,050 crore | Comprising central share Rs 9,407 crore, state share Rs 4,880 crore and beneficiary contribution Rs 5,763 crore, per the original PMMSY framework. |
| 13 — (a) FY 2025-26 | PIB’s 24 March 2026 release describes PMMSY as implemented with an outlay of Rs 20,050 crore “with effect from FY 2020-21 to FY 2025-26”. |
| 14 — (b) 1981 Act | The Maritime Zones of India (Regulation of Fishing by Foreign Vessels) Act, 1981, governs foreign-vessel fishing in Indian maritime zones. |
| 15 — (d) Retail fish prices | MFRAs regulate access and conservation (licensing, gear, zones, closed seasons); they do not fix retail market prices. |
| 16 — (b) 1980 | Kerala’s MFRA (1980) was among the earliest state marine fishing regulation laws, followed by Maharashtra (1981), Odisha (1982) and Karnataka (1986) in the same wave of state legislation. |
| 17 — (b) Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 | The whale shark is listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, giving it the highest level of protection. |
| 18 — (b) Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 | The 1986 Act is the umbrella environment law; the first CRZ Notification (1991) was issued under it. |
| 19 — (c) 2023-24 to 2026-27 | PM-MKSSY is a central-sector sub-scheme under PMMSY for formalisation, enterprise support and fisheries value-chain development. |
| 20 — (c) Rs 5 lakh | GAIS under PMMSY provides Rs 5 lakh for death, Rs 2.5 lakh for total/partial disability and Rs 25,000 towards hospitalisation expenses, per PIB. |
How to use this set
- Attempt first, check later. Cover the answer key, answer all 20, and only then score yourself. A blind first attempt is what reveals weak topics.
- Learn the year + purpose pair. Examiners rarely ask a year alone; they ask “which Act does X” or “what does the 2005 Act regulate”. Revise each act as a pair: year, purpose, one distinctive number.
- Master the numbers. 1897, 12 nm, 200 nm, 200 m, 5 years, Rs 20,050 crore, Rs 5 lakh — these seven figures answer a large share of legislation questions.
- Separate Centre from State. If a question mentions territorial waters, think State MFRA; beyond territorial waters, think Union List and the 1976/1981 Acts.
- Re-attempt after a week. Re-do this set after seven days; anything you still miss goes into a one-page note with the revision table above.
More question banks on Fisheries India
Keep practising with our other sets: India’s fisheries institutes: 20 MCQs aspirants must ace; IUU fishing MCQs: 20 questions every aspirant must ace; Coral reef MCQs: 20 questions every aspirant must ace; and for scheme-linked questions, the PM-MKSSY performance grant explained.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the oldest fisheries law in India?
The Indian Fisheries Act, 1897, which prohibits destructive practices such as dynamiting and poisoning water and empowers governments to regulate seasons, gear and fish size.
Who regulates coastal aquaculture in India?
The Coastal Aquaculture Authority, established under the Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act, 2005. Farms must register with the Authority; registration is valid for five years.
What is the difference between the 1976 Act and the 1981 Act?
The 1976 Act defines India’s maritime zones (12 nm territorial sea, 200 nm EEZ). The 1981 Act specifically regulates fishing by foreign vessels within those zones.
Do state governments have any role in marine fisheries law?
Yes. Fisheries within territorial waters are a State subject, so coastal states enact their own Marine Fishing Regulation Acts covering licensing, mesh size, zonation and closed seasons.
Is PMMSY still running in 2026?
PMMSY was originally for FY 2020-21 to 2024-25 and was extended to FY 2025-26, as stated in PIB’s March 2026 release. Always check the Department of Fisheries portal for the current status before citing a scheme in an answer.
Official links and sources
- UNEP LEAP — Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act, 2005 (Act No. 24 of 2005) — establishment of the Authority, Act structure, 2023 amendment date
- Gazette of India, 23 June 2005 — Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act, 2005 — assent date, coastal-aquaculture definition excluding freshwater, five-year registration, 200-metre High Tide Line rule
- PIB — PMMSY implementation (Lok Sabha reply, 5 August 2025) — Rs 20,050 crore, FY 2020-21 to 2024-25
- PIB — PMMSY release, 24 March 2026 — scheme period stated as FY 2020-21 to FY 2025-26, GAIS cover of Rs 5 lakh / Rs 2.5 lakh / Rs 25,000
All figures in this article are taken from the sources above and dated as stated. Act summaries are simplified for exam revision and are not a substitute for the bare Acts; check the official Gazette text before citing any provision in a legal or examination answer.