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Supreme Court Limits Purse Seine Nets to EEZ Beyond 12 Nautical Miles
The Supreme Court clarifies that purse seine nets are allowed only beyond 12 nautical miles in the Exclusive Economic Zone under the Centre’s regulation. It states that purse seine nets are prohibited within 0-12 nautical miles of territorial waters under State control. The Court determines that Tamil Nadu Marine Fishing Regulation Rules, 2020 and the Sustainable Harnessing of Fisheries in the EEZ Rules, 2025 apply to distinct maritime zones and do not conflict.
SC order on Purse Seine Nets and EEZ Regulations:
| Dimension | Key Details |
|---|---|
| Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) | The EEZ comprises an area of the ocean generally extending 200 nautical miles (230 miles) beyond a nation’s territorial sea, within which a coastal nation has jurisdiction over both living and non-living resources. |
| International legal basis | The EEZ framework is adopted through the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. |
| Coastal nation rights within EEZ | Under international law, within its defined EEZ, a coastal nation has sovereign rights to explore, exploit, conserve, and manage the seabed, subsoil, and waters. |
| Coastal nation jurisdiction within EEZ | Under international law, within its defined EEZ, a coastal nation has jurisdiction over artificial islands, research, and marine environment protection. |
| Tamil Nadu Marine Fishing Regulation Rules, 2020 | It governs fishing activities within 12 nautical miles, corresponding to state waters. |
| Sustainable Harnessing of Fisheries in the EEZ Rules, 2025 | It regulates fishing in the Exclusive Economic Zone from 12 to 200 nautical miles under central government jurisdiction. |
| Marine Products Export Development Authority Act, 1972 | It establishes registration requirements for export-oriented and regulated fishing operations. |
| Court finding on regulatory overlap | The Court determines that there is no conflict between the 2020 state rules and the 2025 central EEZ rules because each applies to a distinct maritime zone. |
| Purse seine fishing | It comprises a commercial fishing method that uses a large wall of netting to encircle a dense school of pelagic fish, closing at the bottom like a drawstring purse to trap the catch. |