India Joins Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement as Full Member

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Key takeaways

India has become a full Contracting Party to the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA), upgrading its status held since 2022.
The agreement was adopted in July 2006 under the FAO and regulates non-migratory marine species in the Southern Indian Ocean high seas.
Accession allows Indian vessels to fish beyond their current 60 to 80 nautical mile limit from the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
This move aligns with India's December 2025 Guidelines for High Sea Fisheries and strengthens its position against major fleets like China, which commands 21% of high-seas fishing.

The Central Government approved India's full membership in the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA).
This upgrade moves India from a Cooperating Non-Contracting Party (CNCP) status to a full Contracting Party.
The strategic move elevates India's role in global ocean governance and deep-sea fisheries management.

SIOFA is a multilateral regional fisheries management organization designed to ensure long-term conservation and sustainable use of high-seas marine resources in the Southern Indian Ocean.
The agreement was adopted in July 2006 at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) headquarters in Rome, entering into force in June 2012 and becoming operational in 2016.
It was created to fill the void left by the abolition of the Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission (IOFC) in 1999, and its Secretariat operates from Le Port, Reunion Island.
The core mandate focuses on multilateral cooperation for managing fishery resources while considering the development needs of coastal developing nations and Small-Island Developing States (SIDS).
Species managed under this framework include non-migratory fish, molluscs, crustaceans, and various sedentary species within the high seas.
It explicitly excludes highly migratory species like tuna listed in Annex I of UNCLOS and sedentary species under coastal state jurisdiction as per Article 77(4) of the 1982 UNCLOS.
Since 2016, SIOFA enforces regulatory rules such as Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS), protection of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs) against bottom fishing, and anti-IUU fishing listings.

India transitions from its 2022 observer-like status to holding voting rights on the Scientific Committee and Compliance Committee, granting direct access to vital scientific marine data.
Indian commercial fishing vessels can now legally expand operations into deep SIOFA waters well beyond their current 60 to 80 nautical mile limit near the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Participation in the High Seas Boarding and Inspection (HSBI) Scheme strengthens national maritime security and stops Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing activities.
The decision directly implements the Guidelines for High Sea Fisheries released in December 2025, driving India's broader Blue Economy roadmap.
With high seas making up 65% of global oceans, full membership gives India a strategic presence to counterbalance distant-water fleets from countries like China, which controls 21% of global high-seas fishing.

SIOFA manages non-highly migratory fish species strictly in the high seas of the Southern Indian Ocean.
The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) regulates highly migratory species like tuna across the entire Indian Ocean region.
India has been a full Contracting Party to the IOTC since 1996, whereas it joined SIOFA fully in 2026.