Lok Sabha Question No. 1677 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-30
Subject: Unified Blue Economy
Ministry: EARTH SCIENCES
Asked by: Shri Brijmohan Agrawal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1677 TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, 30 TH  JULY, 2025

## UNIFIED BLUE ECONOMY

## †1677. SHRI BRIJIMOHAN AGRAWAL:

Will the Minister of EARTH SCIENCES be pleased to state:

- (a) the major legislative steps taken by the Government for the Blue Economy district from policy-based approaches such as the Deep Ocean Mission along with the draft legislation, inter-ministerial consultations or projected timelines for a Blue Economy Law;
- (b) the  existing  mechanism  which  ensures  sector-specific,  legally  binding  environmental protections for marine economic activities in the absence of a Unified Blue Economy Act;
- (c) the manner in which the regulatory gaps and overlaps being addressed;
- (d) the proposed plan for unified statutory framework for environmental protection;
- (e) the existing system for the Government to have a statutory benefit-sharing mechanism to guarantee equitable  distribution  of  marine  resource  benefits  such  as  mariculture,  mining and tourism etc. among local communities, private sector and the State; and
- (f) whether  there  are  any  dedicated  laws  or  guidelines  for  private  and  foreign  investment, accountability  and  liability  in  the  emerging  blue  economy  sectors  and  if  so,  the  details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR MINISTRY OF SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

- (a) Ministry of Earth Sciences is taking a systematic approach towards a legislative framework for  the  Blue  Economy.  The  Draft  National  Policy  on  Blue  Economy,  covering  seven thematic areas including ocean governance and marine spatial planning, was placed in the public  domain  in  February  2021  and  revised  in  July  2022  after  inter-ministerial  and stakeholder consultations. The policy is aiming to harness ocean resources sustainably for economic  growth  while  protecting  marine  ecosystems  ensuring  national  security  and provides  the  foundational  basis  for  future  legislation.  While  the  Deep  Ocean  Mission having six  defined  verticals  is  a  subset  of  the  broader  Blue  Economy  concept  which  is focused  on  technological  development  for  exploring  deep  ocean  resources,  promoting climate change advisory services, conservation of deep-sea biodiversity, research on ocean biology, and harnessing energy and freshwater from the ocean.
- (b) A  robust,  sector-specific  legal  framework  ensures  environmental  protection  for  marine economic activities. The key laws include:
- (c) The regulatory gaps and overlaps are being addressed through following mechanisms:
-  The  PARIVESH  portal  of  Ministry  of  Environment  Forest  and  Climate  Change (MoEF & CC) acts as a single window for environmental, forest, wildlife, and CRZ clearances.
-  The  National  Sagarmala  Apex  Committee  and  PM  Gatishakti  portal  also  aid  in integrated planning.
- (d) The current focus is on strengthening the existing environmental legal framework through targeted reforms, including amendments to existing laws and empowering the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change's umbrella legislation the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.  These reforms aim to introduce specific rules to address critical challenges  such  as  e-waste  (management),  plastics  waste  management,  batteries  waste management, and end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) scrapping.
- (e) A statutory benefit-sharing mechanism is already in place across various marine sectors:
-  Genetic  &  Bio-resources:  The  Biological  Diversity  Act,  2002,  and  its  associated regulations  mandate  sharing  of  benefits  through  monetary  contributions  (0.2-0.6%  of turnover) to Biodiversity Funds and non-monetary benefit-sharing.
-  Offshore Minerals: The  Offshore Areas Mineral (Development  and  Regulation) Amendment Act 2023 (OAMDR), requires lessees to pay an additional amount to the Offshore Areas Mineral Trust, not exceeding one-third of the royalty, to the Trust.
-  Fisheries:  The  Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) and state policies ensure revenue sharing (15-25%)  with  local bodies or Self-Help  Groups  from mariculture parks.
-  Tourism: Niti Aayog's guidelines on Public-Private  Partnership (PPP) agreements for eco-tourism projects in Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) areas often include a mandatory revenue-sharing component. This typically involves the private operator contributing a minimum of 2-5% of their gross revenue to a local development fund, as part of their agreement with the government.
- (f) Yes. There are dedicated laws and guidelines for investment, accountability, and liability:
-  100% FDI is permitted via the automatic route in sectors like sea-ports and aquaculture. Offshore mineral block auctions are open to foreign bidders with specified conditions. (Consolidated FDI Policy, DPIIT)
-  The  Merchant  Shipping  Act,  1958,  adopts  international  liability  conventions  and mandates compulsory insurance for pollution damage. Offshore safety is governed by the Oil Mines Regulations, 2017, and a draft Offshore Safety Directive.
-  The 'Harit Sagar' Green Port Guidelines (2023) mandate ESG reporting for terminal operators. The Deep Ocean Mission requires Environmental & Social Due Diligence for its projects.
-  Maritime  Zones  Act,  1976  along  with  updated  rules  like  the  Offshore  Wind  Energy Lease  Rules,  2023,  provides  the  legal  framework  for  leasing  and  regulating  offshore energy and mineral projects, ensuring compliance with technical, safety, and environmental standards set by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).

| Sector                        | Legal Framework / Act                                                                                             |
|-------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Coastal and Marine Ecosystems | Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2019 Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 |
| Coastal and Marine Ecosystems |                                                                                                                   |
| Coastal and Marine Ecosystems |                                                                                                                   |

| Fisheries and Aquaculture              | Marine Fishing Regulation Acts (State-specific)                                                                                                              |
|----------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Fisheries and Aquaculture              | National Policy on Marine Fisheries, 2017                                                                                                                    |
| Shipping and Ports& Security           | The Merchant Shipping Act, 1958                                                                                                                              |
| Shipping and Ports& Security           | Major Port Authorities Act, 2021                                                                                                                             |
| Shipping and Ports& Security           | International Maritime Conventions (e.g., MARPOL) (via Merchant Shipping Act) Maritime Zones Act, 1976 Recycling of Ships Act, 2019 Island Vessels Act, 2021 |
| Oil, Gas &Deep-Sea Mining              | Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Act, 1948                                                                                                             |
| Oil, Gas &Deep-Sea Mining              | Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 2002 (as amended in 2023)                                                                           |
| Oil, Gas &Deep-Sea Mining              | Deep Ocean Mission (MoES Framework)                                                                                                                          |
| Tourism and Recreation                 | Environment (Protection) Act& CRZ Rules                                                                                                                      |
| Tourism and Recreation                 | Biological Diversity Act, 2002                                                                                                                               |
| Marine Biotechnology &Bio- prospecting | Biological Diversity Act, 2002                                                                                                                               |

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