Seaweed Farming in India

Seaweed farming in India is an inexpensive and less laborious activity that may help coastal communities find an alternate source of income. Seaweed is high in vitamins and minerals and finds applications in food, cosmetics, and fertilizers.

How is seaweed farmed in India?

• Seed collection:
  • Seed stock is collected from natural waters or grown from vegetative propagation
• Cultivation:
  • Seaweed is grown in small patches of intertidal sand flats
• Harvesting:
  • Seaweed is harvested and utilized in the different industries

What varieties of seaweeds are cultured in India?

• Red Seaweed:
  • Gelidiella acerosa, Gracilaria edulis, G. dura are cultured for agar
• Brown Seaweed:
  • Sargassum wightii, Turbinaria conoides are cultured for alginates
• Kappaphycus alvarezii:
  • Cultivated for carrageenan
• Eucheuma denticulatum:
  • Cultivated in Tamil Nadu and Kerala

Where are the seaweeds cultivated in India?

• Tamil Nadu:
  • Has most seaweeds with 180 species in Mandapam village
• Goa:
  • Shallow areas for seaweed farming
• Karnataka:
  • Seaweed industries
• Andhra Pradesh:
  • Seaweed industries
• Gujarat:
  • Seaweed industries

Growing Demand and Cultivation

• Seaweed cultivation is on the rise for food-processing, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries.
• Coastal states are boosting seaweed farming, generating new employment avenues.

Global Advancement in Seaweed Production

• It has the leaders China, Indonesia, Korea, Philippines, Japan, Malaysia, Zanzibar, and Chile.
  Seaweed Characteristics
• It is the naturally occurring essential to coastal ecosystems.
• Uses
  • The foods and habitat to marine lives. ‘
  • Used for humans and animal feed.
  • The same also act as bio-fertilizers.
• Therapeutic Uses
  • Some are of therapeutic uses that have good applications in nutraceuticals, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.
• Economic Use of Seaweeds
  • Seaweeds are incorporated into the manufacture of processed foods, animal feeds, toothpastes, and skincare products.
  • Agar, an algal, obtained from red algae, is a vegetarian substitute for gelatin, a thickener, a preservative, and an inhibitor of ice crystallization in frozen foods.

Indian Seaweed Sector: Current Situation

• In India, about 9.7 million tonnes of seaweed are available yearly, and out of this, only 34,000 to 35,000 tonnes are used.
• The government has targeted the production of one million tonnes of seaweed by 2025.
  Government Policies
• PMMSY has presented itself for promoting the cultivation of seaweed by establishing nurseries for sea weed, seed banks, tissue culture labs, and special markets.

Research and Facilitation

• The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi, has been identified as the nodal agency for seaweed farming in India.

Challenges in Seaweed Industry

• The development of the seaweed industry in India is still very low, and less than 50 units are operational.

State Initiatives

• Tamil Nadu aims to become a modern industrial destination for seaweeds. It offers eco-friendly investment opportunities along with single-window facilities.

Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY)

PMMSY, introduced as part of the ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’ package, aims to develop the sustainable and responsible fisheries sector in India. The scheme is implemented in all States and Union Territories for five years from FY 2020-21 to FY 2024-25.

• Launch
  • The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) was launched in September 2020
• Ministry
  • Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying.
• Features
  • The scheme provides insurance coverage, financial assistance, and a Kisan Credit Card (KCC) to fishermen.
• Umbrella scheme with two components
  • Central Sector Scheme and Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
• Objective
  • The objectives include enhancing fish production and productivity, modernizing the value chain, generating employment, enhancing contribution to agricultural GVA and exports, ensuring social, physical, and economic security, and building a robust fisheries management and regulatory framework.
• Status
  • The fisheries sector contributes to national income, exports, food and nutritional security, and employment generation.
  • As of 2023, projects worth Rs 14,654.67 crore have been approved under PMMSY.
• India’s Status in Fisheries
  • India is the 3rd largest fish producer and the 2nd largest aquaculture producer globally, with fish production reaching an all-time high of 16.25 MMT during FY 2021-22.