BHUBANESWAR: The state cabinet on Wednesday approved the proposal for enactment of Odisha Marine Fishing Regulation Act, 2026 by repealing an earlier legislation to widen the business scope of the fisheries sector and reach the target of Rs 25,000 crore seafood export by 2036.
The cabinet, presided over by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, approved the proposal to establish a robust, modern and inclusive legal framework for the marine fisheries sector as the earlier Act was limited in scope, not inclusive and inadequate to address the emerging challenges before the sector.
Chief secretary Anu Garg told mediapersons that the fisheries sector faces challenges such as marine resource conservation, fishermen’s safety, coastal security, technological advancements and prevention of unauthorised entry of foreign fishing vessels. The proposed legislation seeks to address these issues by expanding the scope to include the regulation of deep-sea fishing and the promotion of mariculture activities, such as marine cage culture, seaweed culture, deployment of artificial reef for rejuvenation of territorial waters, she said.
Besides, it also paves the way for comprehensive smart green integrated infrastructure development, including modernization and management of fishing harbours and fish landing centres along the coast of Odisha. The new legislation will ensure livelihood support as well as employment generation, Garg added.
Stating that priority has been given to the safety of coastal communities and coastal, national security, the chief secretary said the proposed legislation mandates the use of modern safety equipment and communication technologies, including transponders, very high frequency radios and vessel tracking and monitoring systems.
Garg said these provisions, along with mandatory biometric/QR coded Aadhar identification and enhanced insurance coverage, will significantly bolster fishermen’s security and coastal surveillance. The proposed legislation mandates stringent measures to curb Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing activities. It provides for strict regulation of fishing vessels, fishermen, and related activities, along with provisions for licensing, fishing gear regulation and the prohibition of destructive fishing practices.
Provisions for protection of traditional fishermen, strengthening of the monitoring and enforcement mechanism, conservation and management of marine resources in sustainable way are other features of the proposed law which Garg said is strategically aligned with the Viksit Odisha 2036-2047 vision and state’s Blue Economy initiatives.