India releases frameworks for deep-sea fisheries and offshore projects
New Delhi: India today released two significant documents and platforms aimed at supporting the planning and management of its offshore sector. NITI Aayog’s report “India’s Blue Economy: Strategy for Harnessing Deep-Sea and Offshore Fisheries” and the launch of PM GatiShakti – Offshore, a digital platform for integrated offshore planning, provide datasets, policy frameworks, and procedural guidance intended to inform offshore energy, infrastructure, and fisheries activities.
The NITI Aayog report focuses on the potential of India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of over 2 million sq. km, including deep waters beyond the continental shelf. India is the second-largest fish-producing country globally, supporting nearly 30 million livelihoods and contributing ₹60,523 crore in exports in FY 2023–24. Despite this, deep-sea fisheries beyond the continental shelf remain largely underutilised. The report estimates a potential yield of 7.16 million tonnes from these waters, covering both conventional and non-conventional species.
The report outlines a framework for utilising deep-sea and offshore fisheries, covering six areas of intervention: policy and regulatory reforms; institutional capacity building; fleet modernisation and infrastructure upgrades; sustainable fisheries management; resource mobilisation and financing; and community participation. It highlights cooperative and cluster-based approaches for fleet development, aiming to support collective ownership, operations, and access to modern technology. A phased implementation plan is proposed: Phase 1 (2025–28) for foundational growth, Phase 2 (2029–32) for scaling and global competitiveness, and Phase 3 (2033 onwards) for long-term development of sustainable deep-sea fisheries.
PM GatiShakti – Offshore provides a geospatial digital platform integrating data from multiple ministries, including New and Renewable Energy; Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Petroleum and Natural Gas; Ports, Shipping and Waterways; Fisheries; Mines; Power; and Telecommunications. The platform hosts datasets on offshore energy potential, hydrocarbon fields, bathymetry, coastal regulation zones, coral reefs, mangroves, marine mammals, ports, airports, fisheries landing centres, and oceanic hazards such as currents, wave heights, and seismic risk zones. This data is intended to support technical assessment, environmental compliance, and regulatory coordination in offshore projects, including wind, tidal, wave, and ocean thermal energy, subsea infrastructure, and marine resource management.
The integration of these two initiatives allows for multi-layered planning and analysis. For instance, bathymetry and ecological datasets can be used to plan subsea transmission routes and offshore energy projects while accounting for deep-sea fishing zones, coral reefs, and other ecologically sensitive areas. Overlays of hydrocarbon exploration blocks, marine traffic corridors, fibre-optic cable routes, and fisheries landing points can provide insights for planning and decision-making across sectors, enabling simultaneous consideration of technical feasibility, regulatory requirements, and environmental constraints.
Alongside the NITI Aayog report release, a workshop involved 18 institutions and representatives from coastal states, including Goa, Gujarat, Lakshadweep, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu. Technical sessions addressed regulatory frameworks, research, financing, capacity building, and sustainable resource management. Panel discussions explored ways to align deep-sea fisheries development with offshore infrastructure planning and resource management.
The initiatives also include tools for project-specific applications. For example, in planning a High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) subsea link connecting the Indian mainland with the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, bathymetry data can be used to identify suitable seabed depths, while ecological layers such as coral reefs, mangroves, and turtle nesting zones can inform route selection. Similarly, offshore wind farms can be sited using combined overlays of energy potential, marine traffic, and fisheries data to ensure compliance with environmental and regulatory guidelines.
These platforms and frameworks are structured to support data-driven and coordinated decision-making in India’s offshore sector. They provide access to verified datasets, policy guidance, and phased planning frameworks intended to inform technical, regulatory, and environmental considerations for offshore energy, infrastructure, and fisheries projects. By combining geospatial intelligence and sector-specific strategies, they offer a mechanism to evaluate overlaps, optimise resource allocation, and support the sustainable development of India’s maritime resources.
– global bihari bureau
