For decades, Indian fishing boats have worked the same crowded strip of sea — most of the country’s fishing still happens within 40 to 50 nautical miles of the shore. Beyond that lies an ocean India barely fishes: more than 23 lakh square kilometres of Exclusive Economic Zone, rich in high-value tuna, where fleets from Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Indonesia, Iran and Europe have been catching what Indian boats left behind. On 4 November 2025, the Government of India notified the rules that change that — and this week, those rules turned one year old.
The Rules for Sustainable Harnessing of Fisheries in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) are the first full framework for deep-sea fishing in Indian waters. They were announced in the Union Budget 2025-26, notified on 4 November 2025, and the system went live for boat owners on 20 February 2026, when Union Fisheries Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh rolled out the EEZ Access Pass from Veraval in Gujarat. This post explains what the rules actually do, who needs the free pass, who is exempt, and what is still unfinished after year one.
Note on the banner image: it is an illustration of a deep-sea trawler and a leaping tuna, not a photograph of a specific vessel or fishing trip.
India’s deep-sea rules at a glance
| Rules notified | 4 November 2025 — Rules for Sustainable Harnessing of Fisheries in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) |
| Access Pass launched | 20 February 2026, from Veraval, Gujarat, for all 13 coastal States and Union Territories |
| India’s EEZ | More than 23 lakh sq km; coastline over 11,099 km; 13 maritime States and Union Territories; more than 50 lakh people in the fishing community |
| The prize | High-value deep-sea resources, above all tuna — largely unharvested by Indian fleets so far |
| Access Pass cost | Free, through the ReALCRaft portal; fully digital and time-bound |
| Who needs a pass | 64,187 mechanised vessels (plus large motorised vessels of 24 metres overall length and above, and pole-and-line vessels) |
| Who is exempt | Traditional and small-scale fishers on motorised or non-motorised craft — including motorised traditional boats below 24 m not engaged in tuna fishing |
| Foreign vessels | Barred from Access Passes under any arrangement |
| Island share | Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep together account for 49% of India’s EEZ |
Why the deep sea matters: the tuna India never caught
India is the world’s second-largest fish producer, and its total fish production rose from 141.64 lakh tonnes in 2019-20 to 197.75 lakh tonnes in 2024-25. But almost all of that growth came from inland waters and the nearshore sea. The deep sea stayed out of reach — not because the fish are not there, but because there was no legal framework for Indian boats to go after them.
The government’s own release puts it bluntly: the full potential of the EEZ, especially high-value deep-sea resources including tuna, remained underutilised, while countries including Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Indonesia, Iran and European nations catch substantial quantities of tuna in the Indian Ocean region. Indian fleets, limited to nearshore waters, were lagging behind in their own backyard.
The geography makes the stakes obvious. The Andaman & Nicobar Islands alone account for nearly one-third of India’s EEZ, and together with Lakshadweep the two island territories hold 49% of it. That is why the rules give the islands special attention — and why the mother-and-child vessel concept, which lets a large mother vessel carry smaller boats and take their catch mid-sea, matters most there.
Who needs the Access Pass — and who does not
The pass is the heart of the new system, and the most misunderstood part of it. It is not a licence for every boat. It is a free, digital permit for the bigger end of the fleet, issued through the ReALCRaft portal — the Department of Fisheries’ national online platform for vessel registration and licensing, built with the National Informatics Centre.
| Mechanised fishing vessels | Access Pass required |
| Motorised vessels, 24 m overall length and above | Access Pass required |
| Pole-and-line fishing vessels | Access Pass required |
| Motorised traditional vessels below 24 m, not fishing tuna | Exempt |
| Non-motorised traditional craft | Exempt |
| Foreign fishing vessels | Barred — no Access Pass under any arrangement |
The numbers show how the line falls. About 2.38 lakh fishing vessels are registered on ReALCRaft across the 13 coastal States and Union Territories — around 1.32 lakh motorised boats and 40,461 non-motorised traditional craft, which are exempt, against 64,187 mechanised vessels that need passes. In other words, most of India’s small-scale fleet is untouched by the new paperwork; the pass targets the boats big enough to fish deep water.
How to get the Access Pass
The pass is issued free of cost, and the process is designed to run entirely online — no office visit is needed. The steps, as set out in the official release and the Andaman & Nicobar Administration’s advisory of February 2026, are:
- Check whether your vessel needs one. Mechanised boats, motorised boats of 24 metres overall length and above, and pole-and-line vessels need a pass. Traditional motorised boats below 24 metres that are not fishing tuna, and all non-motorised traditional craft, do not.
- Apply on the ReALCRaft portal. The portal is the Department of Fisheries’ national platform for vessel registration, licensing and ownership transfer. The application asks for minimal documentation.
- Track it online in real time. The system is designed to be time-bound, with applicants able to follow their application without visiting an office.
- Carry your identification at sea. Fishers are identified through a QR-coded Aadhaar card or Fishers ID Card, and vessels must use transponders — the government is installing one lakh transponders free of cost, with over 50,000 already fitted as of February 2026.
- Use the Nabhmitra app. The ReALCRaft system is integrated with the Nabhmitra application, which fishers use for safe navigation and transponder operation — and which also helps the Indian Coast Guard and Navy with coastal security.
One practical warning: because the pass is free and the application is online, nobody needs to pay an agent or middleman for it. The Andaman & Nicobar advisory told vessel owners to apply through the portal at the earliest — and fishers elsewhere should do the same through their state fisheries department if the portal is unclear.
Cooperatives go first — and the mother-ship idea
The most important political choice in the rules is who gets priority. Deep-sea fishing operations, and the management of technologically advanced vessels, are reserved first for Fishermen Cooperative Societies and Fish Farmer Producer Organisations (FFPOs) — not for large private companies. The government has paired that with training programmes, international exposure visits and capacity building across the value chain, from processing and value addition to marketing, branding and exports, with a Joint Working Group with the Ministry of Cooperation to push the cooperative role further.
Credit is part of the same package: easy and affordable credit for deep-sea fishing is to be facilitated through the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) and the Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF). Structured training is being run through the Central Institute of Fisheries Nautical and Engineering Training (CIFNET) and the Fisheries Survey of India.
The flagship operational idea is the mother-and-child vessel model: a larger mother vessel carries smaller fishing boats out to the deep sea and takes their catch back mid-sea, under Reserve Bank of India-monitored procedures. For the island territories, which hold nearly half the EEZ but sit far from mainland landing centres, this is the difference between tuna being a theory and tuna being a business.
What the rules ban — and what they protect
The rules take a firm stand against destructive fishing. Three practices are prohibited outright:
- LED light fishing — using powerful lights to aggregate fish;
- Pair trawling — two boats dragging one net between them; and
- Bull trawling — a heavy, destructive form of trawling.
On conservation, a minimum legal size for fish species will be prescribed, and Fisheries Management Plans are to be developed in consultation with state governments to restore declining stocks. Mariculture — sea-cage farming and seaweed cultivation — is promoted as an alternative livelihood to reduce pressure on nearshore waters.
Two regulatory reforms matter for anyone selling the catch. First, fish caught in the Indian EEZ beyond the contiguous zone — 24 nautical miles from the baseline — is now recognised as of Indian origin under revenue and customs norms, so it is not treated as an import when landed at an Indian port and can be properly accounted for in exports. Second, the ReALCRaft platform is being integrated with the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) and the Export Inspection Council (EIC) for Fish Catch and Health Certificates — the documents premium export markets demand, and the backbone of end-to-end traceability.
A National Plan of Action on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing is also to be framed under the rules, to deter illegal fishing in the Indian EEZ.
What is still unfinished after year one
A fair one-year report card has to include the gaps, and the official sources are honest about them — most of the conservation machinery is still described in the future tense:
- No public count of passes issued. The launch in February 2026 handed passes to 37 fishermen representing 24 fisheries cooperative societies at Veraval, but no running total of Access Passes issued has been published since. Boat owners should not assume the system is fully bedded in.
- Minimum legal sizes are not yet notified. The rules say they “will be prescribed” — they have not been published yet, so fishers cannot check them today.
- Fisheries Management Plans are still to be developed in consultation with states — they are a promise, not a document you can read.
- The National Plan of Action on IUU fishing is still to be framed.
None of that makes the rules a paper exercise: the notification, the launch, the portal, the vessel counts and the transponder rollout are all real and dated. But the conservation half of the framework is still being built, and it is worth watching whether the sizes, plans and the IUU action plan appear in year two.
Why this matters right now: World Fisheries Day is 13 days away
The timing of the anniversary is useful. World Fisheries Day falls on Saturday, 21 November 2026, under the theme “India’s Blue Transformation: Strengthening Value Addition in Seafood Exports”, and the Department of Fisheries has said it will release the National Framework on Traceability in Fisheries and Aquaculture on the day — alongside standard operating procedures for mariculture, guidelines for smart and integrated harbours and fish landing centres, reservoir fisheries management, and a compendium of coastal aquaculture guidelines. Traceability is exactly what the EEZ rules are building towards: a documented, certified chain from a deep-sea catch to a premium export buyer. Read our full guide to the day in the related stories below.
For a boat owner, the practical message of year one is simple: if your vessel is mechanised or over 24 metres, get the free Access Pass on the ReALCRaft portal before you plan a deep-sea trip; if you fish traditionally, you are exempt and the rules were written to keep it that way; and if you are part of a cooperative or FFPO, you are first in line for the deep sea — with training, credit and the mother-vessel model behind you. The tuna is still out there. For the first time, there is a legal, free and documented way for Indian fishers to go and get it.
Frequently asked questions
Is the EEZ Access Pass really free?
Yes. The government issues it free of cost through the ReALCRaft portal, in a time-bound and transparent process. Do not pay anyone who offers to arrange it for a fee.
Does a small traditional boat need a pass?
No. Non-motorised traditional craft are exempt, and so are motorised traditional vessels below 24 metres overall length that are not engaged in tuna fishing.
Can a foreign vessel fish in India’s EEZ under these rules?
No. Foreign fishing vessels are not allowed to get an Access Pass under any arrangement.
What is the ReALCRaft portal?
It is the Department of Fisheries’ national online platform for registration and licensing of fishing vessels, ownership transfer and related services, developed with the National Informatics Centre. About 2.38 lakh vessels are registered on it.
What happens to the catch — is it treated as Indian?
Yes. Fish caught in the Indian EEZ beyond the contiguous zone (24 nautical miles) is recognised as of Indian origin under revenue and customs norms, so it is not treated as an import on landing.
Related stories on Fisheries India
- World Fisheries Day 2026: 600M Livelihoods, 1 Big Warning — the 21 November observance, the traceability framework release, and the small-scale fisheries plan due the same day.
- Fish Output Up 39.6% — NFDB’s New Plan for Fish Farmers — the NFDB governing body meeting of 5 November 2026 and what it means for fish farmers.
- Seafood Now India’s No.1 Farm Export: $4.5 Billion! — why traceability and catch certificates matter for the export market the EEZ rules are targeting.
- NFDP Hits 39 Lakh Fishers: Get Your Digital ID Now — the digital identity that underpins PM-MKSSY benefits, including the aquaculture insurance incentive.
Sources and fact-check note
Every date and figure in this post was checked on 8 November 2026 against the sources below. The rules’ notification date (4 November 2025), the Access Pass launch (20 February 2026, Veraval), vessel counts, EEZ and coastline figures, the bans and the exemptions all come from the official PIB release (Release ID 2187691, 8 November 2025) and the Andaman & Nicobar Administration advisory of 10 February 2026. The launch details, transponder rollout and training arrangements come from the February 2026 launch coverage. Two honest limits: no running total of Access Passes issued has been published, so none is claimed here; and the minimum legal sizes, Fisheries Management Plans and the IUU action plan are described in the official release as still to come, so they are reported as pending, not as done.
Official sources: PIB, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying — “Government Notifies Rules for Sustainable Harnessing of Fisheries in the Exclusive Economic Zone” (Release ID 2187691, 8 November 2025), https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2187691; Department of Fisheries, https://dof.gov.in; NewsAge, “EEZ Access Pass launched for marine sector” (22 February 2026); Nicobar Times, “New EEZ Rules Notified; Access Pass Mandatory for Certain Fishing Vessels” (10 February 2026).