Bhubaneswar: The world has developed confidence in the quality of Indian seafood and the country’s best achievements are yet to come, vice-president C P Radhakrishnan said here on Thursday as he launched the national programme for issuance of Letter of Authorisation (LoA) for sustainable fishing in high seas.“The LoA is an important initiative by the Centre to promote responsible, sustainable and well-regulated fishing beyond India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). It is a historic step that will unlock India’s untapped marine potential, strengthen seafood exports and create new livelihood opportunities for coastal communities,” Radhakrishnan said while addressing a gathering in Bhubaneswar.The vice-president added, “India’s fisheries and aquaculture sector has emerged as a sunrise sector and a key pillar of the country’s blue economy.”He noted that India is the world’s second-largest fish-producing nation, contributing around 8% of global fish production and supporting the livelihoods of nearly three crore fishermen and fish farmers.“The high seas initiative could significantly boost exports and help Indian seafood gain greater recognition in premium global markets. India’s seafood exports crossed Rs 73,000 crore in the last financial year and reached more than 120 countries,” he said, adding that digital authorisation systems, vessel tracking and international certification would improve market access and traceability.Highlighting the country’s vast marine resources, Radhakrishnan said India has an 11,000-km coastline and an EEZ of nearly 24 lakh sqkm, much of which remains underutilised. “For decades, fishing activities remained close to the shore. Today, we are ready to look beyond the horizon. The deep waters of our EEZ and the high seas present immense opportunities for harvesting high-value species such as tuna,” he said.He said India possesses abundant marine wealth, but much of its potential remains untapped. “Today is another day when we want to tap all our potential. We can do it unitedly by taking all stakeholders along,” he added.Radhakrishnan said the new framework, announced in the Union Budget 2025-26, places fishermen at its centre by prioritising authorisations for fisheries cooperatives, fish farmer producer organisations and Indian fishers.Emphasising sustainability, he said the guidelines would promote responsible fishing and curb illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. Deep-sea fisheries could generate jobs in processing, logistics, cold-chain infrastructure and exports, while increasing opportunities for women and helping realise the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047, he said.
