New Delhi, Oct. 15 -- India has agreed to join the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA) which gives it access to high-value marine resources, maritime security and allows a stronger voice in international fisheries governance. Mint explains the strategic push beyond its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

SIOFA provides a regional framework for managing specified fishery resources in the Southern Indian Ocean. It was signed in Rome on 7 July 2006 and entered into force in June 2012. To date, SIOFA has ten contracting parties including Australia, China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Spain and France and India.

This agreement covers fishery resources, including fish, molluscs, crustaceans, and other sedentary species, but excludes h...