Supreme Court Directs Tamil Nadu to Frame Rules for Fishing Vessel Transit to EEZ

Exam-focused facts from the 3 September 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

The Supreme Court directed the Tamil Nadu government to frame rules under the Marine Fishing Regulation Rules, 2020 to create a specified channel for transit of fishing vessels from territorial waters to Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) for purse seine fishing.
The court upheld both the Tamil Nadu Marine Fishing Regulation Rules, 2020 and the Central Sustainable Harnessing of Fisheries in the Exclusive Economic Zone Rules (EEZ Rules), 2025.
As of August 3, only six access passes were issued out of 257 applications on the Registration and Licensing of Fishing Craft Portal (ReALcraft Portal).
The court directed Tamil Nadu to ensure timely clearance of applications for access passes to avoid an unwritten ban.