News Highlights
The Quadrilateral Security (Quad) has planned to launch a satellite-based maritime surveillance initiative, in the Indo-Pacific, in which the Indian Navy’s Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) will play an important role.
The Initiative is taken to defend exclusive economic zones from environmental degradation by overfishing by China.
About Maritime Surveillance Initiative
- It will bring together existing surveillance centres in Singapore, India, and the Pacific
- Aim –Â to create a tracking system for illegal unregulated and unreported fishing (IUUF) in the Indo-Pacific region.
About The Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR)
- IFC-IOR, hosted by the Indian Navy, was established on 2018 to further Maritime Safety and Security in the Indian Ocean Region.
- The data fusion centre was established as part of the government’s SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region).
- Located in Gurugram, India
- Aim:
- Strengthening maritime security by building a common coherent maritime situation picture and acting as a maritime security information sharing hub for the region.Â
- How does it work?
- Centre has established working level linkages with more than 50 nations and multinational/ maritime security centres.Â
- In addition to a website, the exchange of information is being undertaken by various means including physical interactions, telephone, fax, email and Video Conferencing.
- Centre has hosted International Liaison Officers (ILOs) from 10 partner nations – Australia, France, Japan, Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, Seychelles, Singapore, United Kingdom, United States of America.
Significance of the Initiative
- Illegal unregulated and unreported fishing (IUUF) a bigger threat:
- In recent years, IUUF has been seen as growing into a bigger threat to maritime states than international piracy.
- This is because they deplete stocks and deprive vulnerable regional economies of an important food source.
- For Example: livelihoods of the citizens of Sierra Leone to Somalia, Peru to Argentina or Palau to Micronesia affected for whom fishing is the primary source for food as well as income.
- Collaborative effort:Â
- The scale, scope and the multi-national nature of maritime activities, make it difficult for countries to address these challenges individually.
- Hence, collaborative efforts between maritime nations in the IOR, is essential.
- Maritime security is a top priority.
- The IOR is vital to world trade and economic prosperity of many nations.Â
- More than 75% of global maritime trade and 50% of global oil consumption pass through the IOR.
- However, maritime terrorism, piracy, trafficking, IUUF, arms running and poaching pose myriad challenges to maritime safety and security in the region.
Importance of Initiative for India
- Boost India’s view to strengthen maritime cooperation with neighbours
- India hopes to strengthen economic and security ties with its maritime neighbours through SAGAR, while also assisting in the development of their maritime security capabilities.
- To Leverage Blue economy
- The blue economy offers India an opportunity to achieve its national socio economic goals (job creation, energy security, environmental resilience, etc.).
- To counter China’s increasing influence over IOR
- The vision is also significant in light of China’s growing assertiveness and influence in the Indian Ocean region through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)
- View on National Interest
- It is also critical for safeguarding India’s national interests and ensuring that the IOR becomes more open, collaborative, and protecting international laws
Way Forward
- There is an emergent need to develop inter-agency, multi-state cooperation, and coordination in the field of Maritime safety and security.
- Enhanced cooperation towards sharing of information as well as resources for developing seamless MDA, to develop a unified Maritime domain umbrella of the Indo-Pacific region.
Pic Courtesy: Times of India
News Source – Indian Express