New Delhi, Oct 13 : India's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) has an estimated potential yield of 7.16 million tonnes of deep-sea fishery resources that remain largely unexploited, according to a NITI Aayog report on 'India's Blue Economy: Strategy for Harnessing Deep-Sea and Offshore Fisheries' released on Monday.

The report highlights that responsible utilisation of deep-sea and offshore fisheries can enhance seafood exports, generate employment opportunities, and reduce pressure on coastal fisheries, while ensuring ecological sustainability.

India's EEZ of over 2 million sq. km deep waters beyond the continental shelf, and 11,098 km coastline across nine coastal states and four Union Territories, provide immense potential to expand its marine fisheries into the deep seas.

The report presents a comprehensive framework covering the deep-sea fishing sector within the EEZ and international waters accessed through regional fisheries agreements. This framework adopts a science-based, technology-enabled, socially inclusive, and ecologically sustainable approach to harnessing India's deep-sea fisheries potential.

The report identifies six key policy interventions on overhauling policies and regulations; strengthening institutional and capacity building; modernising fleets and upgrading infrastructure; promoting sustainable fisheries management; mobilising resources and financing; and enhancing local community participation and partnerships.

Recognising the capital-intensive nature of deep-sea fishing, the report also emphasises inclusive fleet development by supporting fisher cooperatives and cluster-based approaches, enabling collective ownership, operations, and access to modern technology. It also outlines investment priorities and monitoring mechanisms necessary to ensure long-term ecological and economic sustainability.

An indicative costing framework for the three phases has also been provided in the report by considering the convergence of Centrally sponsored and Central sector schemes related to fisheries ' Phase 1: Laying the foundation and fostering early growth (3 years| 2025-28); Phase 2: Scaling up and achieving global competitiveness (4 years| 2029-32) and Phase 3: Global leadership in sustainable deep-sea fisheries (8 years and beyond | 2033 onwards).

Building on the sector's strong growth trajectory, the report offers a roadmap to strengthen governance, foster innovation, and enhance the participation of stakeholders. Through integrated interventions in policy reform, infrastructure development, sustainability, financing, and community empowerment, the initiative aims to make India a global leader in sustainable deep-sea fisheries, ensuring prosperity for coastal communities and contributing significantly to the Blue Economy vision of the nation.

Alongside the report release, NITI Aayog also organised a workshop, which witnessed the participation of 18 institutions. The technical session on 'Strategy of States and Way Forward towards Harnessing Deep-Sea Fisheries and Export' included presentations from coastal states such as Goa, Gujarat, Lakshadweep, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu. This was followed by a panel discussion on 'Advancing Resource Management through Regulatory Reforms, Research, Financing and Capacity Building' with distinguished panellists.

India is the second-largest fish-producing country in the world, accounting for 8 per cent of global production. India's fisheries sector supports nearly 30 million livelihoods and contributes significantly to exports, with fishery products earning Rs 60,523 crore in FY 2023'24.

/IANS