Security and Sustainability: India’s Response to China’s Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing in the Southwest Indian Ocean

Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing threatens marine ecosystems in regions with fragmented regulation and limited enforcement. In the Southwest Indian Ocean (SWIO) region, distant-water fishing intersects with questions of sovereignty, labour conditions, and regional stability. This article examines China’s distant-water fleet operations in the SWIO, identifying patterns of regulatory evasion, environmental impacts, and human rights concerns that illustrate IUU fishing as a grey-zone strategy, blurring commercial and State-supported activity. India’s responses have strengthened maritime domain awareness through surveillance and regional cooperation; yet governance gaps constrain consistent enforcement. The findings underscore IUU fishing as a governance and maritime security challenge.