India's central government has approved full accession to the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA), the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying announced on 14 October 2026. The decision follows High Seas Fisheries Guidelines issued by the government in December 2025 and is described as a strategic milestone intended to reinforce India's position in global fisheries governance while advancing its Blue Economy.

As a full Contracting Party, Indian-flagged fishing vessels and enterprises will be permitted to undertake authorised fishing of squids, toothfish, alfonsino, and other non-migratory fish stocks within SIOFA's area of competence. The agreement covers fish, molluscs, crustaceans, and other sedentary species, but excludes highly migratory species listed under Annex I of UNCLOS and sedentary species subject to coastal state jurisdiction under Article 77(4) of UNCLOS.

Until now, India had held the status of Cooperating Non-Contracting Party (CNCP) to SIOFA since 2022, which limited its participation in decision-making bodies including the Scientific Committee and the Compliance Committee. Full membership removes those constraints, granting access to scientific data, stock assessments, and research programmes, as well as a role in preventing illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Accession will also allow India to participate in SIOFA's High Seas Boarding and Inspection (HSBI) Scheme, described as a mechanism to strengthen national coastal security.

The ministry noted that Indian fishing vessels currently operate largely within 60–80 nautical miles of the exclusive economic zone, and that expanding capacity across high seas areas is a national priority. The high seas constitute approximately 65% of the global ocean and are currently dominated by China (21%), Taiwan (13%), Japan (11%), South Korea (11%), and Spain (8%).

India has been a Contracting Party to the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) — the other major Regional Fisheries Management Organization in the Indian Ocean — since 1996, which regulates highly migratory tuna and tuna-like species. SIOFA membership extends India's multilateral fisheries footprint to non-migratory stocks in the southern Indian Ocean.

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