International News

Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement

October 17 , 2026 15 hrs 0 min 63 0

The Union Government approved India’s accession to the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA).
Signed in Rome on 7 July 2006, it entered into force in June 2012 to conserve and sustainably use fishery resources in the southern Indian Ocean.
It covers fish, molluscs, crustaceans and other sedentary species, excluding highly migratory species under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Its main bodies are the Meeting of the Parties, Scientific Committee and Secretariat.
India’s accession will enable full participation in decision-making, access to scientific data and research, and new fishing opportunities for Indian fishers and entrepreneurs.