New Delhi, Jul 8 (PTI) Vice President CP Radhakrishnan will on July 9 distribute the Letter of Authorisation (LoA) to fisheries cooperative societies in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, allowing them to conduct regulated fishing operations in the high seas.
The Vice President will also launch a “Odisha Deep Sea Mission document” during an event to be graced by Union Fisheries Minister Rajiv Rajan Singh and his junior minister SP Singh Baghel, state chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi and others.
The LoA is a mandatory provision under the ‘Guidelines for Sustainable Harnessing of Fisheries in the High Seas by Indian-Flagged Fishing Vessels, 2025.’ The launch of LoA and Odisha Deep Sea Fishing Mission Document represent the beginning of a regulated, transparent
and sustainable system for authorised fishing by Indian-flagged vessels in areas beyond India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying said in a statement.
“This will empower Indian flagged fishing vessels toward sustainable and responsible high-seas fisheries,” it added.
At the national launch event, LOA will be distributed to Shree Mahavir Machhimar Sahakari Mandali Ltd, Shri Martanda Prassanna Colaba Matsyodyog Vividh Karyakari Sahakari Sanstha Maryadit, South Goa Mechanized Boat Owners Coop & Marketing Society Ltd, Paradeep Marine Primary Fish Production & Marketing Co-op Society Ltd, Thengapattanam Deep Sea Fish Producers Cooperative Society and Malpe Fishermen’s Primary Co-Operative Society Ltd.
Designed as a transparent and accountable framework for Indian-flagged vessels undertaking fishing or fishing-related activities on the high seas, LoA is vessel-specific, non-transferable and integrated with the ReALCraft Fishing Vessel Registration Portal, ensuring orderly, traceable and monitored operations.
Issued and renewed at minimal cost, with no procedural constraints and real-time application tracking, LoA facilitates ease of compliance for fishers and vessel operators.
Vessels issued with an LoA are required to comply with conservation and management measures prescribed by the relevant Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs), including catch limits, gear regulations, bycatch mitigation measures, Fish Aggregating Device (FAD) management, voyage reporting and other requirements for responsible and sustainable fishing.
The LoA initiative will strengthen Fish Farmer Producer Organisations (FFPOs) and fishery cooperatives by facilitating their participation in sustainable deep-sea and high-seas fisheries, enhancing access to high-value resources and creating greater income opportunities for fishers.
It also focuses on digitisation, with the entire LoA process being online, transparent, and time-bound, thereby improving service delivery, transparency, traceability, and governance in the fisheries sector. PTI LUX LUX BAL BAL
