Bhubaneswar, July 9: Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan on Thursday launched the national programme for the issuance of Letters of Authorisation (LoAs) for the Sustainable Harnessing of Fisheries in the High Seas, marking a significant step towards enabling Indian fishermen to tap the country's vast marine resources beyond coastal waters in a sustainable manner.

At a function held in Bhubaneswar, the Vice-President also unveiled the Odisha Deep Sea Fishing Mission Document and handed over Letters of Authorisation to ten Fish Farmer Producer Organisations (FPPOs) and fishermen from different parts of the country.

Addressing the gathering, Radhakrishnan said the initiative opens a new chapter in India's maritime sector by promoting sustainable fishing in the country's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and High Seas. He described the programme as a joint effort of the Union Government, the Odisha Government and fishing communities to boost economic growth while ensuring responsible utilisation of marine resources.

The Vice-President highlighted that India has a coastline of more than 11,000 kilometres and an Exclusive Economic Zone spanning nearly 24 lakh square kilometres, much of which remains underutilised. He said the new policy would encourage fishermen to venture into deeper waters and harvest high-value species such as tuna, thereby increasing production and income.

Noting that India is the world's second-largest fish-producing nation, contributing nearly eight per cent of global fish production, Radhakrishnan said the fisheries sector supports the livelihoods of around three crore fishermen and fish farmers. He added that seafood exports crossed ₹73,000 crore in the last financial year and expressed confidence that the High Seas initiative would further boost exports, generate employment across the fisheries value chain and strengthen the livelihoods of coastal communities.

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