- Why in news
- On 12 August 2026 the Fisheries Ministry told the Rajya Sabha that 9,650 Access Passes had been issued (as on 5 August 2026) under the EEZ Rules, 2025 for fishing beyond 12 nautical miles.
- What it is
- The Sustainable Harnessing of Fisheries in the EEZ Rules, 2025 regulate fishing in India's Exclusive Economic Zone, which lies beyond 12 nautical miles and extends to 200 nautical miles. They use an Access Pass, a digital permit, to open deep-sea fishing to traditional fishers, cooperatives and FFPOs while keeping resource use sustainable.
- Nature of pass
- It is a free digital pass issued through the ReALCRaft Portal.
- Who needs it
- Required for mechanized vessels and large motorized boats over 24 m; traditional non-motorized and small artisanal craft are exempt.
- Zone covered
- The pass is needed for fishing in the EEZ, beyond 12 nautical miles.
- Export linkage
- The pass is linked with MPEDA and the Export Inspection Council for catch and health certificates, traceability and eco-labelling.
Don’t confuse with Territorial waters vs EEZ: Territorial waters extend to 12 nautical miles; the EEZ runs from 12 to 200 nautical miles. The Access Pass applies to the EEZ.
Don’t confuse with PMMSY vs FIDF: Both fund deep-sea vessels through NCDC support, but PMMSY is a scheme and FIDF is a fund implemented by the Department of Fisheries.
Laws, judgments and statutory bodies: 30 Prelims questions since 2013 (what the law says, who chairs, legal basis). In Mains, 44 news-triggered questions, most in GS2, asking for provisions and challenges.
Why it matters
- Opens deep-sea resources to traditional fishers, cooperatives and FFPOs, raising incomes and exports.
- Digital permits support traceability and sustainable use of marine resources.
Problems
- Small fishers lack capital for deep-sea vessels and processing.
- Uneven uptake across States, e.g. Tamil Nadu only 6 passes, shows capacity gaps.
Way forward
- Expand cooperative credit through NCDC, PMMSY and FIDF for deep-sea vessels.
- Enforce catch monitoring through transponders and traceability to prevent overfishing.
Put in your answer
Safety integration: The pass is linked to satellite transponders and the Nabhmitra app for PFZ, weather and IMBL alerts.
- 2018Mains GS1 · Q15Define blue revolution; explain problems and strategies for pisciculture development in India.
- 2018Mains GS1 · Q7What are the consequences of spreading 'Dead Zones' on marine ecosystems?
- 2006Prelims Q7Which subject is in the Union List of the Seventh Schedule, among fisheries and others?
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
Prelims practice · Statements
Ours, not from a UPSC paper
Consider the following statements:
- 1.The Access Pass under the Sustainable Harnessing of Fisheries in the EEZ Rules, 2025 is a free digital pass issued through the ReALCRaft Portal.
- 2.The Access Pass is required for all fishing craft, including traditional non-motorized boats, operating beyond 12 nautical miles.
- 3.The Access Pass is linked with the Marine Products Export Development Authority and the Export Inspection Council to support traceability and eco-labelling.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
True or false?
1 of 4
Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.
1.The Access Pass is required for all fishing craft, including traditional non-motorized boats, operating in the EEZ.
False. Traditional non-motorized and small artisanal crafts are fully exempted.
2.The Access Pass is required for fishing beyond 12 nautical miles from the coast.
True. EEZ fishing beyond 12 nautical miles needs the pass.
3.The EEZ Rules, 2025 were notified in November 2025.
True. Notified on 4 November 2025.
4.The Access Pass is linked with MPEDA and the Export Inspection Council to support traceability and eco-labelling.
True. Linked with MPEDA and EIC.
Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.