What Happened
- Nations bordering the Bay of Bengal are preparing for a significant transformation in their small-scale fisheries sector, with new regulations, international cooperation frameworks, and support systems being developed to improve livelihoods and sustainability.
- The transformation is driven by the FAO's Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF Guidelines, 2015) and regional cooperation under the Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem (BOBLME) project.
- Small-scale fisheries in the Bay of Bengal support the livelihoods of tens of millions of people across India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
- The reform agenda covers three pillars: sustainable resource management (preventing overfishing), social protection for fishing communities, and market access improvements for small-scale fisher catches.
- India is a key participant, with its own PM Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) serving as the domestic policy vehicle for transforming the fisheries sector.
Static Topic Bridges
Bay of Bengal: Strategic and Economic Significance
The Bay of Bengal is the world's largest bay by area (~2.17 million sq km) and is surrounded by some of the most densely populated coastlines on earth. It supports one of the world's most productive large marine ecosystems and is home to diverse fishing communities across eight littoral nations. The Bay of Bengal is also strategically significant for India: it connects India's eastern seaboard to Southeast Asia, forms the maritime geography of BIMSTEC, and is a key arena for naval security cooperation.
- Area: ~2.17 million sq km
- Littoral nations: India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka (and Andaman Sea sub-basin)
- Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem (BOBLME) project: FAO/GEF-supported regional initiative for sustainable fisheries management
- Average depth: ~2,600 metres; deepest point: ~4,700 metres (Sunda Trench area)
- Significant rivers discharge into Bay of Bengal: Ganga-Brahmaputra system, Irrawaddy, Mahanadi, Godavari — creating highly productive coastal fisheries zones
- India's EEZ in the Bay of Bengal: extends 200 nautical miles from baseline under UNCLOS
Connection to this news: The Bay of Bengal's fisheries are under stress from overfishing, climate change (sea surface temperature rise, cyclone intensification), and pollution — making the proposed regulatory transformation urgent for the sustainability of livelihoods across the region.
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and UNCLOS Framework
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS, 1982) is the comprehensive legal framework governing ocean governance, including fishing rights. Under UNCLOS, coastal states have sovereign rights over living and non-living resources within their EEZ (200 nautical miles from baselines). Small-scale fisheries operations typically occur within the 12-nautical-mile territorial sea and the continental shelf zones. Overlapping EEZ claims between Bay of Bengal nations have historically created disputes over fishing rights.
- UNCLOS: signed 1982, entered into force 1994; 168 parties (India ratified 1995)
- EEZ: 200 nautical miles from baseline — coastal state has exclusive rights to resources
- Territorial Sea: 12 nautical miles — full sovereignty; vessels need permission to fish
- Continental Shelf rights: extend to 200 nm (or beyond, up to 350 nm if claimed and approved)
- India-Sri Lanka maritime boundary: historically contested in Palk Strait; Indian Tamil Nadu fishermen frequently arrested by Sri Lanka
- IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association): 23-member regional body; promotes Blue Economy and fisheries cooperation
Connection to this news: The proposed transformation of small-scale fisheries regulations in the Bay of Bengal will need to operate within the UNCLOS framework, requiring coordination between national EEZ enforcement regimes and bilateral/multilateral fisheries agreements.
Blue Economy and India's Fisheries Policy
The Blue Economy refers to the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of ocean ecosystems. For India, the Blue Economy is a priority under the Sagarmala programme and the Matsya Sampada Yojana. India is the world's third-largest fish producing nation and second-largest aquaculture producer. The fisheries sector employs over 28 million people and contributes approximately ₹2.79 lakh crore to the national economy.
- PM Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY): launched 2020-21; outlay of ₹20,050 crore over 5 years for fisheries transformation
- Targets: 22 MTPA fish production by 2024-25; doubling of fishers' income; creation of 55 lakh employment opportunities
- Focus areas: aquaculture, post-harvest infrastructure (cold chains, fish markets), deep-sea fishing, seaweed cultivation
- India's fish production FY2023: ~17.5 MTPA (3rd largest globally after China and Indonesia)
- Marine fisheries: ~40% of total fish production; rest is inland/aquaculture
- Kisan Credit Card (KCC): extended to fish farmers and fishers for working capital needs
- Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY): sub-scheme under PMMSY for fishers' formalization and social protection
Connection to this news: India's PMMSY is the domestic implementation vehicle for the same sustainable small-scale fisheries transformation being discussed at the Bay of Bengal multilateral level — making India both a key participant in and beneficiary of the regional reform agenda.
FAO Voluntary Guidelines on Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF Guidelines)
The FAO's Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines), adopted in 2015, is the first international instrument dedicated exclusively to small-scale fisheries. It provides guidance to governments on recognizing small-scale fishers' rights, improving access to resources, post-harvest systems, and social protection, and addressing gender equity in fisheries.
- SSF Guidelines: adopted by FAO's Committee on Fisheries (COFI) in June 2015
- Three pillars: responsible governance of tenure, social development and social protection, value chains and post-harvest
- Implementation: voluntary; countries expected to integrate into national fisheries policies
- Gender: SSF Guidelines specifically highlight the role of women in post-harvest processing and marketing
- BOBLME project: Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem project funded by GEF (Global Environment Facility) and implemented by FAO — helps regional governments operationalize SSF guidelines
- Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY): the FAO concept of harvesting fish at a rate that allows stocks to replenish; target for sustainable fisheries management
Connection to this news: Bay of Bengal nations implementing SSF Guidelines will need to update their national fisheries laws, EEZ enforcement frameworks, and social protection schemes — creating a major regulatory transformation across the region.
Key Facts & Data
- Bay of Bengal: world's largest bay, ~2.17 million sq km; 8 littoral nations
- India's EEZ in Bay of Bengal: 200 nautical miles under UNCLOS
- India's fish production FY2023: ~17.5 MTPA (3rd largest globally)
- Fisheries sector: employs over 28 million people in India; ~₹2.79 lakh crore GVA
- PMMSY: ₹20,050 crore outlay; targets 22 MTPA production and 55 lakh jobs by 2024-25
- FAO SSF Guidelines: adopted 2015; first international instrument focused on small-scale fisheries
- BOBLME project: GEF/FAO-supported regional fisheries sustainability initiative
- IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association): 23 members; promotes Blue Economy cooperation
- India-Sri Lanka Palk Strait: ongoing issue of Indian fishermen arrested for crossing maritime boundary