Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], February 19 (ANI): Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, and Panchayati Raj, on February 20 (Friday), will launch the Access Pass Framework for Fishing in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) at Veraval in Gujarat.

Guided by the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the proactive governance of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, this initiative represents a decisive move to empower traditional and small-scale fishers, cooperatives, Self Help Groups and FFPOs.

The Access Pass will provide legal, transparent, and sustainable entry into India's EEZ, enabling fishers to harness high-value marine resources, particularly tuna and other deep-sea species, while ensuring compliance with international standards of traceability and certification.

India, with its 11,099 km coastline and EEZ spanning 24 lakh sq km, is endowed with immense marine wealth. Yet, most fishing activity remains confined to 40-50 nautical miles. The Sustainable Harnessing of Fisheries in the EEZ Rules, 2025, notified on November 4, 2025, under the Territorial Waters, Continental Shelf, Exclusive Economic Zone and Other Maritime Zones Act, 1976, provide a robust legal and institutional framework to expand fishing operations responsibly into the EEZ.

This framework strengthens monitoring, compliance, and safety, while enhancing incomes and livelihoods across the fisheries value chain. It also supports India's seafood export competitiveness, which stood at Rs 62,408 crore in FY 2024-25, positioning India as the world's second-largest producer of fisheries and aquaculture.

Veraval is already a major fisheries processing and export hub and has been strategically chosen for this launch. The Government of India has envisaged the development of 34 fisheries production and processing clusters nationwide, with Veraval playing a pivotal role in advancing seafood exports, value addition, and modern processing infrastructure. This initiative aligns with the Government's Blue Economy vision, ensuring that the benefits of India's seafood exports accrue directly to fishers and coastal communities, while unlocking access to premium global markets.

The Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), as defined under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), is a maritime zone extending up to 200 nautical miles from a country's coastline. Within this zone, the sovereign nation enjoys exclusive rights to explore, conserve, and utilise marine resources, including fisheries, energy generation, and mineral extraction. For India, the EEZ spans approximately 24 lakh square kilometres, making it one of the largest marine domains in the world.

The launch of the Access Pass Framework marks a pivotal transition for India's fisheries sector, moving from nearshore-dependent fishing to a future-ready offshore regime.

Under the visionary guidance of Prime Minister Modi and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Veraval is poised to emerge as a beacon of India's fisheries transformation, exemplifying Gujarat's leadership in marine resource development and export growth. (ANI)