Bridging policy and practice: A review of monitoring, control, and surveillance in managing illegal fishing in India

Abstract

With increasing pressure on marine ecosystems, effective Monitoring, Control, and Surveillance (MCS) measures are critical in managing Illegal, Unregulated, and Unreported (IUU) fishing. While this is a challenge faced globally, the Indian Ocean region presents a particularly compelling case due to its globally important ecological and economic role. Despite policy frameworks aimed at strengthening MCS, the practical implementation of these measures remains inconsistent across countries, posing challenges to reduce IUU fishing. We conducted a scoping review of MCS-related policies and their implementation within India. We reviewed documents (i.e. National policies & bills, international agreements, Maritime agreements, etc.) related to national and Kerala state policy, compared them with international standards, and finally explored their implementation by gathering available online evidence. Despite the adoption of technologies such as biometric identification cards, online registration platforms, and satellite-based communication systems, our findings reveal major gaps between the policy framework and its implementation. Some measures, including Automatic Identification System (AIS) and logbook requirements, remain only partially implemented, leading to fragmented and inconsistent MCS oversight across India. Results at the implementation level highlight key challenges, including inconsistent vessel tracking, limited stakeholder engagement, and poor inter-state collaboration. The absence of a National Plan of Action against IUU (NPOA-IUU) and limited community participation constraint cohesive MCS strategies. Addressing these calls for prioritising vessel tracking technologies, enhancing inter-agency coordination, empowering fisher communities in decision-making, and tackling socio-economic barriers to MCS compliance. Such a multi-layered strategy can help safeguard India’s marine resources and secure the livelihoods of its coastal communities.