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 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, vessel modernization, skill development, financing, processing, value addition, and export market access. Discussions will focus on harnessing high-value fisheries resources in India's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and High Seas, adopting modern fishing technologies and global best practices, capacity building for fishers and crew, access to institutional finance and cooperative-led investment models, and strengthening post-harvest management, traceability, value addition, and export compliance systems.
India possesses extensive marine resources with approximately 11,099 km of coastline 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 livelihoods of approximately 50 lakh fishers. India exported seafood valued at ₹73,890 crore during FY 2025-26 and is among the leading fisheries and aquaculture producing countries globally.
The Government of India has notified the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Rules, 2025 and High Seas Guidelines, 2025 for sustainable harnessing of fisheries resources. The Access Pass for fishing in India's EEZ is a free digital pass issued via the ReALCRaft Portal, designed to empower traditional fishers, cooperatives, and Fish Farmer Producer Organizations (FFPOs) for fishing in the EEZ (12 to 200 nautical miles) while ensuring sustainability. The Access 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. So far, 9,650 Access Passes have been issued based on applications received through coastal States and Union Territories.