On 9 July 2026, Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan launched a national programme for issuing Letters of Authorisation (LoAs) for the Sustainable Harnessing of Fisheries in the High Seas, at Bhubaneswar, and released the Odisha Deep Sea Fishing Mission Document. Framing it as a "new chapter in India's maritime journey," he said India is ready to harness the untapped potential of its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the High Seas — while stressing that sustainable fishing is a moral responsibility. For a CDS/OTA aspirant, this is a rich doorway into ocean governance — UNCLOS, the EEZ, the High Seas and the new BBNJ Treaty — a theme rising fast in the General Knowledge paper.
The news in one frame
The essentials:
- What: a national programme of Letters of Authorisation (LoAs) so Indian vessels can fish in the High Seas sustainably, plus the Odisha Deep Sea Fishing Mission.
- Who launched it: Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan, at Bhubaneswar.
- Beneficiaries: the first LoAs went to ten Fish Farmer Producer Organisations (FFPOs) and fishermen.
- Idea: move Indian fishing beyond the coast into the EEZ and High Seas, responsibly, as part of the blue economy.
The zones of the sea — the concept to master
The single most examinable idea here is how international law divides the ocean, under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982 — the "Constitution for the Oceans." Moving out from a country's coast (measured from the baseline):
- Territorial Sea — up to 12 nautical miles (nm); the coastal state has full sovereignty here.
- Contiguous Zone — up to 24 nm; limited powers to enforce customs, immigration and sanitary laws.
- Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) — up to 200 nm; the coastal state has sovereign rights over resources (fishing, oil, gas, minerals), but not full sovereignty.
- High Seas — the waters beyond any national EEZ, belonging to no state and open to all (the principle of the "freedom of the high seas"). This is roughly two-thirds of the ocean.
So today's news is about India helping its fishermen move from coastal waters into the EEZ and then the High Seas — the latter being international waters governed by global rules. Getting the 12–24–200 nm ladder right is a classic, high-return fact, and it sits within the CDS/OTA geography and environment notes.
Why the High Seas need a new treaty: BBNJ
The High Seas were long a governance gap — open to all, protected by almost no one, and increasingly stressed by overfishing and biodiversity loss. Hence the BBNJ Agreement (Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction), also called the "High Seas Treaty."
- It was adopted in 2023 under UNCLOS to conserve and sustainably use marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.
- It provides for marine protected areas (MPAs) on the high seas, environmental impact assessments, and sharing the benefits of marine genetic resources.
- India signed the BBNJ Agreement in 2024 (it has not yet ratified it); the treaty entered into force in January 2026 after the required 60 ratifications.
So India's move to regulate its own high-seas fishing through authorisations fits a global shift towards responsible use of international waters. This blend of environment and international law is exactly the crossover tracked on the CDS/OTA daily current affairs.
The seabed, "the Area" and Common Heritage of Mankind
One more layer of ocean governance rounds out the picture and is increasingly tested. Beyond the water column, the deep seabed beyond national jurisdiction is called "the Area" under UNCLOS. It is governed by a special principle — the Common Heritage of Mankind — meaning its mineral resources belong to all humanity, not to any one state, and must be used for the benefit of all, especially developing countries.
- The International Seabed Authority (ISA) — headquartered in Kingston, Jamaica — regulates mining in the Area and issues exploration contracts.
- India was among the first "Pioneer Investors," with exploration rights in the Central Indian Ocean Basin for polymetallic nodules (rich in manganese, nickel, cobalt, copper).
So the ocean beyond national borders is governed on two tracks: living resources/biodiversity via the BBNJ Treaty, and seabed minerals via the ISA and the Common Heritage principle. Distinguishing the two is exactly the nuance the examiner rewards.
The blue economy and India's stake
Why is India pushing into deep-sea and high-seas fishing at all? Because of the blue economy — the sustainable use of ocean resources for growth, jobs and food security while keeping the ocean healthy. India's stake is large:
- India has a coastline of about 11,098 km and an EEZ of roughly 2.2 million sq km — a vast, under-utilised resource.
- Deep-sea fishing can boost fishermen's incomes and India's seafood exports, reducing pressure on overfished coastal waters.
- It complements schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) and the Deep Ocean Mission, and India's broader maritime vision.
The balance the Vice-President stressed — growth alongside conservation — is the crux of the blue economy, and a ready-made essay line. The revision hook: UNCLOS (1982) → Territorial Sea 12 nm, EEZ 200 nm, High Seas beyond → BBNJ Treaty (2023) governs the high seas → India signed 2024, blue economy the goal.
Exam relevance in one paragraph
For CDS/OTA GK, retain: UNCLOS (1982) sets the sea zones — Territorial Sea 12 nm, Contiguous Zone 24 nm, EEZ 200 nm, High Seas beyond national jurisdiction; the BBNJ / High Seas Treaty (adopted 2023, in force 2026) protects high-seas biodiversity; India signed it in 2024. For the essay/interview, present it as the blue economy meeting ocean governance — using marine resources sustainably under a rules-based order.
🎯 Practice MCQs
Q1. Under UNCLOS, the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) extends up to how far from the baseline? (a) 12 nautical miles (b) 24 nautical miles (c) 200 nautical miles (d) 350 nautical miles → (c) — 200 nautical miles.
Q2. The "High Seas" refers to ocean areas: (a) within the territorial sea (b) within the EEZ (c) beyond any national jurisdiction (d) inside ports → (c) — beyond national EEZs, open to all states.
Q3. UNCLOS, the framework for ocean law, was adopted in: (a) 1958 (b) 1972 (c) 1982 (d) 1994 → (c) — 1982 (often called the "Constitution for the Oceans").
Q4. The Territorial Sea, over which a coastal state has full sovereignty, extends up to: (a) 12 nautical miles (b) 24 nautical miles (c) 100 nautical miles (d) 200 nautical miles → (a) — 12 nautical miles.
Q5. The BBNJ Agreement is popularly known as the: (a) Paris Agreement (b) High Seas Treaty (c) Ramsar Convention (d) Kyoto Protocol → (b) — the High Seas Treaty.
Q6. The BBNJ Agreement was adopted under which parent framework? (a) WTO (b) UNCLOS (c) CITES (d) UNFCCC → (b) — under UNCLOS.
Q7. In the EEZ, a coastal state has: (a) full sovereignty like on land (b) sovereign rights over resources, not full sovereignty (c) no rights at all (d) only military rights → (b) — sovereign rights over living and non-living resources.
Q8. India's position on the BBNJ Treaty (as of 2026) is that it has: (a) neither signed nor engaged (b) signed but not yet ratified (c) rejected it (d) ratified and enforced it fully → (b) — signed in 2024, ratification pending.
Q9. The "blue economy" refers to: (a) the IT sector (b) sustainable use of ocean resources for growth (c) river-water sharing (d) desert development → (b) — sustainable use of ocean/marine resources.
Q10. The Contiguous Zone, where a state can enforce customs and immigration laws, extends up to: (a) 12 nm (b) 24 nm (c) 200 nm (d) 24 km → (b) — 24 nautical miles.
📋 How this gets asked (PYQ pattern)
Ocean governance is a rising environment-and-IR set in CDS/OTA. The dependable framings are the UNCLOS zone limits (12/24/200 nm), EEZ rights vs sovereignty, the BBNJ/High Seas Treaty and its UNCLOS parentage, and the blue-economy concept. A frequent trap swaps the EEZ (200 nm) with the territorial sea (12 nm), or treats the high seas as national territory. The fresh 2026 hook is India's high-seas fishing LoAs and the Deep Sea Fishing Mission — ideal for "which zone / which treaty / how many miles" items. We reference the pattern, not any exact past question.
Preparing for CDS or OTA? UNCLOS zones, the High Seas Treaty and the blue economy are high-yield environment-IR GK and a fresh essay theme. Track our daily CDS/OTA current affairs and prepare with serving-officer faculty in the upcoming Cavalier courses in Delhi.
✍️ Written by Hitendra Deswal — Polity & current-affairs faculty at The Cavalier. Reviewed by the Cavalier Faculty Desk. The Cavalier, founded by ex-Army officers, has trained NDA/CDS/SSB aspirants since 2001 (Facebook · YouTube).
Source: PIB / Ministry of Fisheries release, 9 July 2026. Facts cross-verified with independent sources.