Overview
- Mechanised and large motorised boats must secure a free Access Pass via the ReALCRaft portal, with traditional small vessels exempt and foreign fleets barred from Indian waters.
- The mother‑and‑child vessel model enables RBI‑monitored mid‑sea transshipment, targeting Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep to lift high‑quality export landings.
- The rules ban LED light fishing, pair trawling and bull trawling, and introduce minimum legal sizes and Fisheries Management Plans to rebuild stocks.
- ReALCRaft is being integrated with MPEDA and the Export Inspection Council for catch and health certificates, and EEZ landings will be treated as Indian origin under customs norms.
- Deep‑sea vessels must carry transponders and QR‑coded IDs, with links to the Nabhmitra navigation app to enhance safety and support enforcement by the Coast Guard and Navy.