Seaweed centre boosts India’s fisheries

The Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Shri George Kurian has said that the facility will significantly boost seaweed cultivation in India and further contribute to the growth of the fisheries sector.

Whilst visiting the centre for its inauguration, the minister visited a number of facilities including the seaweed plantlet production unit, marine hatchery, national marine fish brood bank, recirculatory aquaculture system, sea cage farm, shrimp hatchery established under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) scheme, marine biodiversity museum and marine aquarium.

During his exchanges with fishers and fish farmers, Minister Kurian highlighted the remarkable increase in India’s fish production over the past decade, from 9.579 million tonnes to 17.545 million tonnes. He also mentioned the government’s efforts to improve the sector through various schemes.

“Under the PMMSY, the Department of Fisheries has distributed 22 insulated vehicles in Ramanathapuram district alone to maintain cold chain facilities,” he said,

“To enhance income and promote sustainable aquaculture, the government has introduced open sea cage farming for high-value fish species like seabass and cobia in the district,” he continued, “and to improve the efficiency and safety of traditional fishermen, the government is replacing wooden catamarans with FRP boats.”

More than 150 fishers, fish farmers and seaweed farmers from Ramanathapuram and Pudukottai districts of Tamil Nadu attended the meeting, sharing their experiences in seaweed farming and sea cage farming.