New Delhi, Sept. 30 -- India has started equipping fishing vessels with satellite-based transponders for real-time monitoring. About 36,000 fishing boats have been fitted with the devices and the plan is to cover all 100,000 vessels by the end of fiscal year 2026 (FY26).

The initiative, funded by the Centre and the coastal states, is offered free of cost to fishermen. It brings India in step with developed nations such as the US, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan and the European Union (EU) countries, where transponder use on fishing vessels is standard.

India, which has set its sights on becoming a developed nation by 2047, has a coastline of 11,099km, inclusive of the mainland and islands. With millions dependent on fisheries, Ind...