Pariksha SaathiCentre approves India's accession to the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA)
On 14 October 2026 the Central Government approved India's accession to the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA), the body that manages non-highly-migratory fish stocks on the high seas of the southern Indian Ocean. India had so far taken part only as a Cooperating Non-Contracting Party, with a limited say in decisions; accession makes it a full Contracting Party. According to the Department of Fisheries, Indian-flagged vessels will now be able to take up authorised fishing of squid, toothfish, alfonsino and other non-highly-migratory stocks in the SIOFA area, subject to its conservation and management measures, and India gains a seat on SIOFA's Scientific Committee and Compliance Committee and a role in its high-seas boarding and inspection scheme. The decision builds on the 2025 guidelines for sustainable harnessing of fisheries in the high seas by Indian-flagged vessels. Highly migratory species such as tuna are outside SIOFA's scope.
Drafted with AI assistance from news coverage, then checked statement by statement against the official PIB release linked above by a second AI pass. Not line-edited by a human.
Learning context
The Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA) was signed in Rome on 7 July 2006 and entered into force in June 2012; FAO is its depositary and its secretariat sits at Saint-Denis on La Réunion, a French territory in the Indian Ocean. It manages non-highly-migratory fish stocks on the high seas of the southern Indian Ocean, that is, outside any country’s exclusive economic zone. Highly migratory species such as tuna are not covered by SIOFA; they fall under the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), of which India is already a member.
Reference: SIOFA’s official website (agreement text, parties and secretariat)
Check yourself: after this accession, does SIOFA give India the right to regulate tuna fishing in the southern Indian Ocean?
No. SIOFA covers only non-highly-migratory stocks such as toothfish, squid and alfonsino on the high seas; tuna and other highly migratory species are managed by the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission, and accession gives no exclusive rights: Indian vessels still need authorisation and must follow SIOFA’s conservation measures.
Revision task: from this release, note the change of status (from Cooperating Non-Contracting Party to Contracting Party), the new rights it brings (seats on the Scientific and Compliance Committees, authorised fishing by Indian-flagged vessels) and the domestic policy it builds on (the 2025 guidelines for high-seas fishing by Indian-flagged vessels), and keep these apart from the standing facts about the agreement above.
Test yourself
After the accession approved on 14 October 2026, India's status under the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement changes from what to what?
Show the answer
Answer: Cooperating Non-Contracting Party to full Contracting Party
India had participated in SIOFA only as a Cooperating Non-Contracting Party; accession makes it a full Contracting Party with seats on the Scientific and Compliance Committees.
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