[1] The purpose of the agreement is to ensure and promote the long-term conservation and sustainable use of the fishery resources in the area through cooperation among the member states.

The agreement area covers the high seas between eastern Africa and Western Australia.

[2] SIOFA is adjacent to the convention area of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) in the south, the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO) convention area in the east and the South East Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (SEAFO) convention area to the west.

SIOFA also manages valuable fisheries, including for orange roughy, alfonsino and toothfish.

The Secretariat is based on the French Island of Réunion, specifically in the city of Le Port (formerly St Denis).