Context: Indian diplomats, with previous experience in engaging with Sri Lanka, emphasized that Delhi successfully gained access to Wadge Bank and its abundant resources. India got formal sovereignty over Wadge Bank in 1976, two years after the agreement between India and Sri Lanka agreement over Katchtheevu as a part of Sri Lanka.
About Wadge Bank:
- The Wadge Bank, located south of Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin), is a resource-rich deep sea fishing ground (submarine). It is a continental shelf nearly 80 kilometers (50 miles) seaward from the coast of Kanyakumari.
- The India-Sri Lanka agreement of 1976 recognised the Wadge Bank as part of India’s exclusive economic zone, granting India sovereign rights over the area and its resources. Under the agreement, Sri Lankan fishing vessels and personnel were not allowed to engage in fishing activities in the Wadge Bank.
- The agreement allowed Indian fishermen to use the resources in the Wadge Bank area.
- In late 2023, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MOPNG) invited Notice Inviting Offers (NIO) under the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP) for the exploration of oil in Wadge Bank. However, residents of the area objected to it, highlighting the area’s importance to fishing communities in Kanyakumari.