Letter of Authorisation (LoA) for High Seas Fisheries
Agriculture
- PYQs5
- Articles1
Background
Represents a significant policy shift for India in regulating high seas fishing, ensuring sustainability, international compliance, and boosting fisher livelihoods. It's a concrete example of India's commitment to the Blue Economy and responsible maritime practices.
The Letter of Authorisation (LoA) is a mandatory provision under India's Guidelines for Sustainable Harnessing of Fisheries in the High Seas, 2025, designed to regulate and monitor Indian-flagged vessels undertaking fishing activities in areas beyond India's Exclusive Economic Zone.
Facts & tables
- Mandatory Requirement
- For Indian-flagged vessels fishing in high seas
- Key Features
- Vessel-specific, non-transferable, integrated with ReALCraft Fishing Vessel Registration Portal
- International Compliance
- Requires adherence to conservation and management measures of Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs)
- Beneficiaries
- Aims to strengthen Fish Farmer Producer Organisations (FFPOs) and fisheries cooperatives
| Type | Reference |
|---|---|
| Conceptual area | Blue Economy |
| Conceptual area | International Maritime Law |
| Conceptual area | Fisheries Management |
| Body | Role |
|---|---|
| Department of Fisheries, Government of India | Issues and regulates |
| Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) | Sets standards |
Prelims angle
Prelims angle: Multi-statement analysis
Prelims angle: Policy measures
- Mandatory for high seas fishing by Indian vessels.
- Ensures compliance with RFMOs.
- Digital, transparent, and traceable process.
- Aims to empower FFPOs and cooperatives.
- Part of India's broader Blue Economy strategy.
| Year | Framing tags |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Factual recall, Terminology-based question |
| 2021 | Factual recall, Institutional roles and functions |
| 2017 | Multi-statement analysis, Policy measures |
| 2016 | Multi-statement analysis, Policy measures |
| 2014 | Multi-statement analysis, Conceptual understanding |
Timeline
-
Blue Economy
Conceptual area
-
International Maritime Law
Conceptual area
-
Fisheries Management
Conceptual area
-
Prelims 2014
Multi-statement analysis, Conceptual understanding
-
Prelims 2016
Multi-statement analysis, Policy measures
-
Prelims 2017
Multi-statement analysis, Policy measures
-
Prelims 2021
Factual recall, Institutional roles and functions
-
Prelims 2026
Factual recall, Terminology-based question
-
Hon’ble Vice President of India to launch Letter of Authorisation for Sustainable Harnessing of Fisheries in the High Seas and Odisha Deep Sea Fishing Mission Document
A new Indian policy instrument (LoA) to regulate and monitor Indian-flagged vessels fishing in the high seas, ensuring compliance with international standards set by RFMOs and promoting sustainable, traceable, and transparent operations.
See also
Past papers
2014–2026 · 5 questions
In the news
Hon’ble Vice President of India to launch Letter of Authorisation for Sustainable Harnessing of Fisheries in the High Seas and Odisha Deep Sea Fishing Mission Document
A new Indian policy instrument (LoA) to regulate and monitor Indian-flagged vessels fishing in the high seas, ensuring compliance with international standards set by RFMOs and promoting sustainable, traceable, and transparent operations.
Try these PYQs
Consider the following statements :
The nation-wide ‘Soil Health Card Scheme’ aims at
1. expanding the cultivable area under irrigation.
2. enabling the banks to assess the quantum of loans to be granted to farmers on the basis of soil quality.
3. checking the overuse of fertilizers in farmlands.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Out of the listed statements about the Soil Health Card Scheme : Statement 1 is Incorrect: Expanding the cultivable area under irrigation is not a primary objective of the scheme. Statement 2 is Incorrect: Banks don't directly use soil cards to assess loan quantum. Loan approvals depend on various factors like land ownership, crop type, and credit history. Statement 3 is Correct: A key objective of the scheme is to promote the judicious use of fertilisers. By informing farmers about their soil's nutrient status, the scheme encourages them to apply only the required amount of fertilisers, reducing overuse and potential environmental damage. Therefore, the correct answer is 3 only (checking the overuse of fertilisers in farmlands).Hence, option B is the correct answer.
In the context of food and nutritional security of India, enhancing the ‘Seed Replacement Rates’ of various crops helps in achieving the food production targets of the future. But what is/are the constraint/ constraints in its wider / greater implementation?
1. There is no National Seeds Policy in place.
2. There is no participation of private sector seed companies in the supply of quality vegetable seeds of vegetables and planting materials of horticultural crops.
3. There is a demand-supply gap regarding quality seeds in case of low value and high volume crops.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Statement 1 is incorrect: India has a National Seeds Policy (2002), which provides a framework for quality assurance, seed certification, and private sector participation. Statement 2 is incorrect: The private sector plays a significant role in the production and distribution of seeds, particularly for hybrid and vegetable crops (e.g., Mahyco, Syngenta, Nunhems, etc.). Statement 3 is correct: For crops like pulses, coarse cereals, and oilseeds, which are low-value but high-volume, there is indeed a shortage of certified seeds due to lower profitability and investment. Thus, only statement three is correct.
With reference to ‘Initiative for Nutritional Security through Intensive Millets Promotion’, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. This initiative aims to demonstrate the improved production and post-harvest technologies and to demonstrate value addition techniques, in an integrated manner, with a cluster approach.
2. Poor, small, marginal and tribal farmers have a larger stake in this scheme.
3. An important objective of the scheme is to encourage farmers of commercial crops to shift to millet cultivation by offering them free kits of critical inputs of nutrients and micro-irrigation equipment.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Statement 1 is correct. The Initiative for Nutritional Security through Intensive Millets Promotion aims to demonstrate improved production and post-harvest technologies in an integrated manner with a cluster approach. Statement 2 is also correct. Millets are mainly grown in regions of low annual rainfall and poor arid soil. It is inadequate, small, marginal and tribal farmers, who cannot afford costly irrigation practices, depend on the cultivation of millets. Hence these farmers benefit from the scheme and have a larger stake in this scheme. Statement 3 is not correct. There is no such provision to encourage commercial crop farmers to shift to millet cultivation.
In the context of India’s preparation for Climate-smart Agriculture, consider the following statements:
1. The ‘Climate-Smart Village’ approach in India is a part of a project led by the Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), an international research programme.
2. The project of CCAFS is carried out under Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) headquartered in France.
3. The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in India is one of the CGIAR’s research centres.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Statement 1 is correct. The Climate-Smart Village (CSV) approach is an initiative under the CCAFS program, which focuses on improving climate resilience in agriculture through research and innovation. CCAFS operates in multiple countries, including India, and works on sustainable farming practices, resource efficiency, and climate adaptation strategies in rural areas. Statement 2 is correct. CCAFS is a global research initiative under the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), which is a network of international agricultural research organizations. However, CGIAR’s global headquarters is in Montpellier, France, making the statement factually accurate. Statement 3 is correct. ICRISAT, based in Hyderabad, India, is a major research institute focusing on improving dryland agriculture. It is indeed one of the CGIAR’s 15 global research centers, working on climate resilience, crop improvement, and food security in semi-arid regions.
At the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) held in June, 2025 in France, the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations demonstrated its leading voice on marine and ocean issues, especially on sustainable fisheries and aquaculture for resilient livelihood and "Blue Transformation".
Which of the following combinations about the "Four Betters" proposed by FAO for "Blue Transformation" is correct ?
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations guides its global work through a strategic framework aimed at supporting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The core organizing principle of this framework is the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems to achieve the "Four Betters". The "Four Betters" are officially defined as:
1. Better Production: Ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns.
2. Better Nutrition: Ending hunger, achieving food security, and improving access to healthy diets.
3. Better Environment: Protecting, restoring, and promoting the sustainable use of terrestrial and marine ecosystems.
4. Better Life: Promoting inclusive economic growth and reducing inequalities, leaving no one behind. The Blue Transformation is a specific FAO vision and programmatic priority area that aims to secure and maximize the contribution of aquatic food systems (fisheries and aquaculture) to achieve these overarching "Four Betters". Options A, C, and D are incorrect because they include fabricated pillars such as "better ocean", "better coral reefs", "better estuaries", or "better mangrove vegetation", which are not part of the FAO's official strategic framework. Therefore, Option B is the correct answer.