Vice President Radhakrishnan Launches National High Seas Fishing Framework

Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan launched the national Letter of Authorisation (LoA) framework for Sustainable Harnessing of Fisheries in the High Seas and unveiled the Odisha Deep Sea Fishing Mission (2026-2036) in Bhubaneswar on July 9, 2026. The event, held at the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, was attended by Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, and several union ministers.

The LoA framework is a mandatory provision under 2025 guidelines designed to ensure transparent, traceable, and monitored operations for Indian-flagged vessels operating beyond national waters, allowing fishermen to legally operate up to 370 kilometres offshore. During the ceremony, Radhakrishnan distributed LoAs to ten fishermen, Fish Farmer Producer Organisations, and the National Cooperative Exports Limited. He noted that the system uses digital authorization and vessel tracking to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing while helping fishermen harvest high-value species like tuna within the Exclusive Economic Zone.

Simultaneously, the Odisha Deep Sea Fishing Mission was introduced as a flagship Blue Economy initiative aligned with Odisha Vision 2036 and Viksit Bharat 2047. The mission aims to transform Odisha into a marine export hub through the development of infrastructure hubs at Paradip, Dhamra, and Gopalpur. This state-led effort focuses on deploying modernized vessels and scientific fisheries management to boost coastal livelihoods and employment in logistics and processing.