Executive Summary:
The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying addresses measures to penalize Fish Meal Fish Oil (FMFO) units that procure juvenile fish or use banned practices like bull trawling and LED fishing. While fisheries fall under the State List, the Government of India prohibits harmful fishing methods in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The document outlines actions advised to maritime States and Union Territories (UTs) and the role of the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) in regulating FMFO units.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Prohibition of Harmful Fishing Practices:**
* The Government of India prohibits bull or pair trawling and the use of artificial lights or LED lights for fishing in the EEZ.
* **Advisory to Maritime States and UTs:**
* Advised to prevent pair or bull trawling and the use of LED lights within and beyond territorial waters.
* Advised to issue Government Orders (GOs) prohibiting destructive fishing methods within their territorial waters.
* Advised to temporarily suspend or cancel the registration/license of violating fishing vessels.
* Advised to inform Coast Guard and other marine enforcement agencies about violators.
* **Uniform Fishing Ban:**
* The Department of Fisheries is implementing a uniform, 61-day ban on fishing during monsoon or fish breeding season.
* Coastal States and UTs are implementing the fishing ban in their territorial waters, aligning with the uniform ban in the EEZ.
* **Minimum Legal Size (MLS) Implementation:**
* Coastal States like Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Goa have implemented MLS under their Marine Fishing Regulation Acts (MFRAs) for selected fish species.
* **MPEDA's Role in FMFO Unit Registration:**
* MPEDA registers FMFO units intending to export their products, ensuring compliance with quality standards and statutory approvals.
* MPEDA determines production capacity and issues registration certificates, which can be canceled for violations.
Impact Analysis:
* **Maritime States and Union Territories (UTs):**
* *Impact:* Required to enforce the prohibition of destructive fishing practices within their jurisdiction and implement the uniform fishing ban.
* *Action Required:* Issue necessary GOs, suspend/cancel vessel registrations, and inform enforcement agencies about violations.
* **Fish Meal and Fish Oil (FMFO) Units:**
* *Impact:* Subject to registration and regulation by MPEDA. Potential for cancellation of registration if found in violation of stipulated conditions.
* *Action Required:* Comply with quality standards, obtain necessary statutory approvals, and adhere to conditions of registration to avoid penalties.
* **Marine Ecosystem:**
* *Impact:* Benefits from the prevention of unsustainable fishing practices like bull trawling and juvenile fishing.
* *Action Required:* N/A
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying: The Indian government ministry responsible for fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying.
Fish Meal Fish Oil FMFO units: Units involved in the production of fish meal and fish oil. These units are the subject of the policy regarding penalization for errant practices.
Bull Trawling: A banned fishing practice involving dragging a net along the sea floor, known to be destructive.
LED fishing: The practice of using LED lights to attract fish, which is prohibited in certain areas to prevent unsustainable fishing.
Exclusive Economic Zone EEZ of India: A maritime zone extending 200 nautical miles from the baseline of India, where India has special rights regarding the exploration and use of marine resources.
Kerala: A coastal state of India that has implemented minimum legal size (MLS) regulations under its Marine Fishing Regulation Act (MFRA).
Maharashtra: A coastal state of India that has implemented minimum legal size (MLS) regulations under its Marine Fishing Regulation Act (MFRA).
Marine Products Export Development Authority MPEDA: An authority under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry responsible for registering Fish Meal and Fish Oil FMFO units intending to export their products.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1443
TO BE ANSWERED ON 29th JULY, 2025
Penalization of Errant FMFO Units
1443 Shri E T Mohammed Basheer:
Will the Minister of FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING be
pleased to state:
The details of steps being taken by the Government to devise a foolproof mechanism in
coordination with states/UTs to penalize errant Fish Meal Fish Oil (FMFO) units that indulge in
procuring juvenile fish or resort to using banned practices like Bull Trawling and LED fishing,
beyond just continuous monitoring?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING
(SHRI GEORGE KURIAN)
The subject matter of 'Fisheries' falls under 'Entry 21' of the State List, under the Seventh
Schedule of the Constitution. The Government of India has prohibited the harmful fishing methods
such as bull or pair trawling and use of artificial lights or LED lights for fishing in the Exclusive
Economic Zone (EEZ) of India to prevent unsustainable fishing practice, which may harm the
marine ecosystem. All the maritime States and Union Territories(UTs) have been advised to take
necessary steps to prevent pair or bull trawling and use of LED light for fishing within and beyond
the territorial waters. The maritime States and UTs have also been advised (i) to issue necessary
Government Orders (GOs) prohibiting destructive fishing methods including pair/bull trawling, use
artificial lights/ LED lights for fishing within their territorial waters, (ii) temporarily suspend the
registration/license of fishing vessel(s) violating the Government Orders., (iii) cancel the
registration/license of such fishing vessel(s) on repeated violations, and (iv) inform Coast Guard
and other marine enforcement agencies about such violators, with directions to prevent operation
of such fishing vessels.
The Department of Fisheries, Government of India is implementing the uniform, 61-days ban on
fishing during monsoon or fish breeding season. The coastal States and UTs are also
implementing the fishing ban in their territorial waters aligning with the uniform ban on fishing in
the EEZ in order to protect fish during breeding period and prevention of juvenile fishing. Apart
from mesh-size regulations, the coastal States like Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa
have also implemented the minimum legal size (MLS) under their Marine Fishing Regulation Acts
(MFRAs) for selected fish species to prevent fishing of juveniles.
The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) under the Ministry of Commerce
& Industry, Govt of India registers Fish Meal and Fish Oil (FMFO) units intending to export their
products, in accordance with the prescribed registration procedures. This process ensures
compliance with quality standards and required statutory approvals - including clearances from
the local authority and Pollution Control Board (PCB). Upon verification of requisite documents
and assessment of the facility, MPEDA determines the production capacity and issues a
registration certificate to the unit. The certificate remains subject to cancellation if the unit is found
to be in violation of any of the stipulated conditions under which it was granted.
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