Page 10 - The Indian EYE 070822

OPINION JULY 08, 2022 | The Indian Eye 10

analyzing and assessing threats and
challenges in their respective areas
of interest. Each of the Quad mem-
bers have their space-based assets
for maritime surveillance, which are
supplemented by their airborne and
land-based sensors.
In addition, the Quad countries
support/operate regional fusion
centers. These include India’s IOR
IFC, Australia-sponsored Pacific
Fusion Centre in South Pacific, Ja-
pan’s MDA Situational Indication
Linkages (MSIL) and the US Navy’s
SeaVision platform. Protocols exist,
as it is, for information-sharing and
by creating more linkages with other
such mechanisms, the initiative aims
to develop the ability to predict pat-
terns for big picture analyses.

KEEPING CHINA IN CHECK Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking at the Quad Leaders Summit in Tokyo (ANI Photo/PIB)
IPMDA is an effort to supple-
ment existing arrangements and is
a reiteration that habits of cooper- space-, air- or land-based surveillance
ation and trust among like-minded about data processing. IPMDA aims LIMITATIONS OF THE assets required for such constant
countries can help augment regional to address this gap via pooling of re- INITIATIVE tracking or queries on how demands
capacities through rapid distribution sources. Critics have argued that the an- for additional resource mobilization
and processing of shared data. While the stated goal is to con- nouncement was the lowest hanging will be met, requires further elabora-
Official statements explain that tribute towards an effective deploy-
integration of three regions—South ment of maritime assets by regional fruit the Quad countries could de- tion. India, for one, is already setting
up coastal surveillance radar stations
liver on, given that the collaborative
East Asia, South Asia and the Pa- partners to respond to humanitarian efforts this initiative aims to institu- (CSRS) in strategically located IOR
cific—and being responsive to their and natural disasters, and combat il- tionalize are already in play. How- countries, but has faced problems
needs as to what “is happening in legal fishing, the signpost of ‘We are ever, the fact is that regional MDA where demand has exceeded supply.
countries’ territorial waters and in watching you’ to China is not explicit- remains far from comprehensive and For Quad to succeed as a force of
their exclusive economic zones” in ly stated but is implicit. It is no secret extensive gaps remain in terms of public good, a strategic buy-in from
real time, drove this effort. that fishing fleets from China have information sharing. To deter China South East Asia is essential. Given
Illegal, Unreported and Unreg- aggressively targeted Indo-Pacific
ulated (IUU) Fishing has emerged waters and have sparked outrage actively at sea, investments for the the region’s skepticism towards the
Quad and apprehensions about the
long haul in terms of persistent track-
as a major area of concern. Many with frequent clashes. The IPMDA ing of the vast span of Indo-Pacific Quad’s rhetoric on ASEAN central-
regional countries are endowed initiative would in practical terms are essential for realizing the stated ity, the IPMDA could serve as a re-
with vast Exclusive Economic Zones assist in not just identifying Chinese goals. assuring platform to deliver on the
(EEZ) but have limited resources for actions but also help push back on its Clearer answers on how Quad most fundamental requirements on
effective monitoring of these zones. grey-zone activities. members will mobilize necessary regional maritime security and prove
IUU Fishing has led to many coun- its effectiveness. However, time will
tries losing fiscal revenues and has be of essence, as Quad countries
had disastrous consequences on con- divvy up responsibilities and resourc-
servation and sustainability efforts. es while managing the crunch of
The scale of the challenge is
compounded given that most fish- post-pandemic economies.
ing vessels are not obligated to carry Shruti Pandalai is Associate Fellow at
any vessel tracking system, i.e., Au- the Manohar Parrikar Institute for De-
tomatic Identification System (AIS) fense Studies and Analyses, New Delhi
or Vessel Monitoring System (VMS). Cmde Abhay Kumar Singh (Retd) is
Even when they are mandated, as in Research Fellow at the Manohar Par-
the case of vessels more than 300 me- rikar Institute for Defense Studies and
ters, illegal actors go dark by either Analyses, New Delhi
switching their tracking system off Views expressed are of the author and
or transmitting false/spurious data do not necessarily reflect the views of
as spoof. Identifying such illegal ac- the Manohar Parrikar IDSA or of the
tors requires persistent monitoring Government of India.
of relevant areas with high resolu-
tion, surveillance sensors. It is only This is the abridged version of the In-
when you process this data that illicit troduction of the book which appeared
actors’ patterns of behavior can be first in the Comment section of the
identified. Therefore, the challenge website (www.idsa.in) of Manohar Par-
in identifying illegal actors at sea is China has become the biggest naval force in the world rikar Institute for Defense Studies and
as much about data collection as it is Analyses, New Delhi on June 24, 2022.

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