Govt. plans security protocol for fishing harbours under CISF oversight

📌 Summary:

• Around 1,200 fishing harbours and fish-landing sites across India will be brought under the operational oversight of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) as part of the Union Home Ministry's plan to fortify India's 7,517 km coastline

• This follows the earlier transfer of security duties at ~250 major sea ports to CISF

• Total of 1,547 notified fish landing centres and fishing harbours currently operate across 13 coastal States and Union Territories

• Strategic rationale: fishing harbours have been identified as the weakest link in India's coastal security architecture since the 26/11 Mumbai attacks (2008), when the attackers used a hijacked fishing trawler to land in Mumbai; many harbours lack perimeter fencing, biometric access, vessel-tracking, or armed presence

• The new protocol is expected to standardise vessel registration, fisherman ID cards, AIS/transponder fitting on boats, and integration with the Coastal Security Scheme and the National Coastal Surveillance Network

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 — Internal security; coastal security; role of central armed police forces; challenges of border management for coastal States; lessons of 26/11

📝 Prelims Facts:

• CISF — Central Industrial Security Force; raised 1969 under the CISF Act, 1968; armed force of the Union under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA); provides security to PSUs, ports, airports, nuclear installations, Delhi Metro

• India's coastline: 7,517 km, of which 5,422 km is mainland and the rest is island territories

• 13 coastal States/UTs: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Daman & Diu, Lakshadweep, Andaman & Nicobar, Puducherry

• Coastal Security Scheme — implemented by MHA in three phases since 2005 (post-Mumbai blasts); strengthened post-26/11; provides marine police stations, interceptor boats

• Three-tier coastal security: Indian Navy (outermost), Indian Coast Guard (intermediate), Marine Police (coastal)

• Sagarmala — Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways flagship for port-led development (different from coastal security)

🔑 Key Term: Coastal Security — multi-agency framework involving the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard, State Marine Police, customs, intelligence agencies and now CISF; aimed at preventing infiltration, smuggling, terrorism and illegal fishing across India's maritime borders.