Evolution of Maritime Laws in India: A Crucial Step towards the Blue Economy

The Blue economy encompasses the resources of the marine life for economic growth. Contributing up to 4% of India’s GDP, consisting of dimensional sectors such as: fisheries, aquaculture, seabed mining, deep sea mining, offshore drilling, port management, ship building, maritime transport, ocean conservation etc. A coastline stretching along 7517 km covering over 9 states and 1382 islands with over 14 major ports (12 operational and 2 developing) and 200 non major ports. The government ministry responsible for overlooking the Maritime laws and blue economy is the Ministry of Ports Shipping and Waterways. The ministry looks after and introduces policies, programmes, infrastructure for all maritime related questions along with the implementation and enactment of the same. This Blog would delve into how the Maritime Laws in India have evolved overtime shaping its dynamic Blue Economy. India having a strategical position in the international arena has ratified various agreements and treaties with external organisation. The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Treaty (a.k.a High Seas Treaty) ratified by India is a landmark decision taken for the sustainability and conservation of marine biodiversity among areas beyond national jurisdiction. Being a signatory party of United Nation Convention on the Law of Sea (UNCLOS) since 1995, has led to further evolvement of the Admiralty Jurisdiction of India. SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea)Convention 1974, a framework under the United Nations Treaty Collection , which lays down minimum standards for safety, construction, equipment and operation of merchant ship was ratified by India in 1976 and came into effect in 1980. Being a signatory to COLREG, India initiated the implementation of the Merchant Shipping Act,1958. This Blog would further talk about the Evolution Of Maritime laws overtime and their impact on India’s Blue Economy.