The Department of Fisheries, Government of India is organizing a National Workshop on Promotion of Deep-Sea Fishing and Interaction with Access Pass and LoA Holders on September 17, 2026, in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The workshop aims to promote deep-sea fishing by encouraging fishers to harness high-value fisheries resources while providing a platform to understand on-ground challenges and gather stakeholder suggestions for sector strengthening.
The event will be attended by Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Panchayati Raj; Shri Bhupendrabhai Patel, Chief Minister of Gujarat; and Prof. S. P. Singh Baghel, Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Panchayati Raj. Participants include fishers (including women fishers), officials from the Department of Fisheries, Government of Gujarat and all coastal States/UTs, ICAR, CIFNET, NABARD, NCEL, NCDC, SEAI, MPEDA, EIC, and other fisheries stakeholders.
The workshop will feature technical sessions covering the entire deep-sea fishing value chain, including resource potential assessment, vessel modernization, skill development, financing, processing, value addition, and export market access. Discussions will focus on opportunities for harnessing high-value fisheries resources in India's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and High Seas, adoption of modern fishing technologies, global best practices, capacity building for fishers and crew, access to institutional finance, cooperative-led investment models, and strengthening post-harvest management, traceability, value addition, and export compliance systems.
India possesses significant marine resources with a coastline of approximately 11,099 km and an Exclusive Economic Zone of about 24 lakh sq. km. The marine fisheries potential within India's EEZ is estimated at 58.6 lakh MT, supporting approximately 50 lakh fishers and contributing significantly to food security, nutrition, employment, income generation, and export revenues. India exported seafood valued at approximately ₹73,890 crore during FY 2025-26 and is among the leading fisheries and aquaculture producing countries globally.
The Government of India has notified enabling frameworks including the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Rules, 2025 and High Seas Guidelines, 2025 for sustainable harnessing of fisheries resources by Indian-flagged fishing vessels. The Access Pass system, issued free of charge via the ReALCRaft Portal under the Sustainable Harnessing of Fisheries in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Rules, 2025, empowers traditional fishers, cooperatives, and Fish Farmer Producer Organizations (FFPOs) to fish in the EEZ (12 to 200 nautical miles) while ensuring sustainability of oceanic resources. The pass is required for mechanized fishing vessels and large motorized boats over 24 meters length, while traditional non-motorized and small artisanal crafts are exempted. To date, 9,650 Access Passes have been issued based on applications received through coastal States and Union Territories.