Information Fusion Centre

The idea is to develop comprehensive maritime domain awareness and share information on vessels of interest (i.e., information on white shipping).

White shipping information refers to exchange of advance information on the identity and movement of commercial non-military merchant vessels.

So far, this fusion centre has information sharing links with 50 nations and multinational/maritime centres.

Major challenges: Maritime terrorism, illegal unregulated and unreported fishing (IUUF), piracy, armed robbery on the high seas, and human and contraband trafficking. IFC aims to tackle these emerging challenges.

Significance

• The IOR is vital to world trade and economic prosperity of many nations.

• More than 75% of the world’s maritime trade and 50% of global oil consumption passes through the IOR.

• In recent years, IUUF has been seen as growing into a bigger threat to maritime states than international piracy.

• This is because they deplete stocks and deprive vulnerable regional economies of an important food source.

• IUU fishing also tramples sovereign rights, undermines the rule of law, and robs coastal states of a valuable economic resource.

• Need for collaborative effort.    

The scale, scope and the multi-national nature of maritime activities, make it difficult for countries to address these challenges individually

• Part of the India’s SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) initiative.

The centre was established as part of the government’s SAGAR framework for maritime co-operation in the Indian Ocean Region