Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA)

Context

The Union Government approved India’s accession to SIOFA, upgrading its status from a Cooperating Non-Contracting Party to a full Contracting Party.

About SIOFA

• Nature: Multilateral fisheries agreement and Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (RFMO) for conserving and sustainably managing non-tuna fishery resources in the high seas of the Southern Indian Ocean.
• Established: Concluded in Rome in July 2006 under the auspices of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); entered into force in June 2012.
• Headquarters: Saint-Denis, Réunion Island (France).
• Governance: Meeting of the Parties, supported by Scientific and Compliance Committees.

Key Features

• Geographical Coverage: High-seas areas of the Southern Indian Ocean beyond national Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs).
• Species Covered: Deep-sea fish, alfonsino, orange roughy, certain toothfish, molluscs and crustaceans. Highly migratory tuna species are excluded.
• Conservation Measures: Science-based catch limits, fishing-gear restrictions and protected zones around Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs), including seamounts.
• Monitoring and Enforcement: Authorises boarding and inspection of fishing vessels to improve compliance and combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.
• Difference from IOTC: SIOFA manages non-highly migratory fish stocks, whereas the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) focuses on tuna and other highly migratory species.

Significance for India

• Full Participation: Enables India to participate in binding conservation decisions, catch-allocation negotiations and scientific cooperation.
• Fishing Opportunities: Supports Indian fishing enterprises’ access to international fishing grounds beyond national EEZs.
• Sustainable Fisheries: Strengthens India’s role in regional fisheries governance and promotes sustainable utilisation of high-seas resources.
• Strategic Relevance: Supports maritime cooperation and India’s MAHASAGAR vision.

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