The Union Government has cleared India joining the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA). The pact was signed in Rome on 7 July 2006 and came into force in June 2012, with the aim of conserving the fishery resources of the southern Indian Ocean and using them sustainably. It applies to fish, molluscs, crustaceans and other sedentary species, but leaves out highly migratory species dealt with under UNCLOS. Its key bodies are the Meeting of the Parties, a Scientific Committee and a Secretariat. Joining will let India take full part in decisions, obtain scientific data and research, and open new fishing opportunities for Indian fishers and entrepreneurs.