Supreme Court restricts purse seine fishing to Mondays and Thursdays in EEZ

The case concerns the right of fishermen using purse seine nets to access the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) beyond Tamil Nadu's territorial waters, specifically addressing the conflict between the State's ban on such nets within its waters and the petitioners' need to transit through those waters to fish in the EEZ.

Who it concerns: Petitioners: Fisherman Care and Gnanasekar and others; Respondents: Government of India (Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries) and Union of India; Bench: Not stated in the provided text.

What the court decided

• Disposed of I.A. No. 190882/2024 in Writ Petition (C) No. 262 of 2022.
• Noted that the judgment encompasses the batch of Special Leave Petition (SLP) No. 8442 of 2021 and other pending Writ Petitions.
• Referenced the interim order dated 24.01.2023 which allowed purse seine fishing in the EEZ with specific conditions (e.g., VTS installation, specific days/times, designated landing centers).
• Noted the Union of India's notification of the Sustainable Harnessing of Fisheries in the Exclusive Economic Zone Rules, 2025 ('EEZ Rules 2025') on 04.11.2025.
• Referenced the Expert Committee's final report submitted on 31.05.2024 recommending special annual permits for innocent passage and a National Permit System.

Also in the document

• The Court stated that the judgment and order dispose of the Interim Application and encompass the related batch of petitions.
• The text notes that the Union of India framed the EEZ Rules 2025 following the Expert Committee's recommendations.
• The interim order of 24.01.2023 restricted purse seine fishing in the EEZ to Mondays and Thursdays, with vessels required to leave after 8 AM and return by 6 PM.