Lok Sabha Question No. 4163 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-19
Subject: Promotion of Seaweed Farming
Ministry: FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING
Asked by: Shri Praveen Patel, Dr. Hemant Vishnu Savara, Shri Ravindra Shukla Alias Ravi Kishan, Smt. Kamaljeet Sehrawat

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 4163

TO BE ANSWERED ON 19 TH  AUGUST, 2025

## Promotion of Seaweed Farming

## 4163.  Shri Praveen Patel:

Dr. Hemant Vishnu Savara:

Shri Ravindra Shukla Alias Ravi Kishan:

Smt. Kamaljeet Sehrawat:

Will the Minister of FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING be pleased to state:

- (a)   the details and initiatives and financial assistance provided by the Government under the  Pradhan  Mantri  Mantri  Matsya  Sampada  Yojana  (PMMSY)  to  promote  seaweed farming,  including  the  total  funds  earmarked  and  utilized  for  this  purpose  since  the inception of scheme;
- (b) the details of the infrastructure being developed to support the seaweed projects/farming sector under PMMSY like Palghar district in Maharashtra;
- (c)    the  targeted  seaweed  production  to  be  achieved  in  the  next  five  years  and  the initiatives  being  taken  by  the  Government  to  promote  research  in  developing  new cultivation techniques to meet these targets; and
- (d) the estimated number of employment opportunities, particularly for coastal communities and women, that are expected to be generated by the seaweed cultivation and processing sector over the next five years?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING (SHRI GEORGE KURIAN)

(a) to (d): Indian coastline of 11,099 km with favourable conditions has immense potential for seaweed cultivation. The Research Institutions  have  identified  384  sites  covering  24,707 hectares across the coastline of India, as suitable for seaweed cultivation.  As per ICARCentral  Marine  Fisheries  Research  Institute  (CMFRI),  India  has  a  potential  seaweed production  capacity  of  about  9.7  million  tonnes  annually.  The  Department  of  Fisheries, Government of India (DoF, GoI) is implementing a flagship scheme Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) and seaweed cultivation is one of the priority activity identified under the PMMSY to support employment generation and additional source of income to fishermen  and  coastal  communities.  The  PMMSY inter-alia envisages  support  towards seaweed cultivation and its related activities, which are under implementation in the coastal States/Union Territories (UTs). Under the PMMSY, during last 5 years (2020-25) the projects worth  ₹195  crore  have  been  approved,  including  the  establishment  of  a  Seaweed  Park (₹127.71 crore) in Tamil Nadu.

Besides, financial assistance is provided under PMMSY for installation of seaweed culture units (rafts, monoline/tubenet systems), establishment of seaweed seed banks, post-harvest facilities such as drying platforms, baling units and storage godowns, laboratories for water testing  and  germplasm  quarantine,  and  training  complexes  with  incubation  centres,  prefeasibility assessment studies, awareness creation, training and capacity building programs in various States/Union Territories (UTs). Furthermore, Lakshadweep has been notified as a Seaweed Cluster, and the Mandapam Regional Centre of the ICAR-CMFRI has been notified as the Centre of Excellence for promoting seaweed farming, training and research activities. The  Guidelines  for  import  of  seaweed  germplasm  have  been  issued  by  the  DoF,  GoI. Besides, the NITI Ayog has released a Seaweed Policy Report for the overall development of this promising sector in the country. An Institutional mechanism has been established by the DoF, GoI in the form of an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) and the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) on Seaweed Development for coordinated development of this important sector in the country. As a result of these initiatives, the seaweed production has increased from 18,890 tonnes in 2015 to 74,083 tonnes in 2024.

In Maharashtra, support is provided under PMMSY for installation of 1,000 seaweed rafts. A project worth ₹121.31 lakh has been approved under PMMSY to CSIRCentral Salt & Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMCRI) on 'Strategies to initiate seaweed cultivation along the coast of Maharashtra'. The survey of 35 sites has been completed in Maharashtra and pre-feasibility studies were conducted at 7 sites by the CSIR-CSMCRI. The Government is promoting advanced cultivation techniques through tissue/spore culture, establishing multispecies seed banks, facilitating import of quality germplasm, and strengthening R&D through ICAR-CMFRI Centre of Excellence, CSIR-CSMCRI, National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), and National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), etc.

Under various initiatives for promotion of seaweed cultivation, its processing and value chain, significant numbers of fishermen and coastal communities have been benefitted. In Tamil Nadu, under the Multipurpose Seaweed Park project, 136 coastal villages with fishermen cooperative societies comprising 1,22,977 members have been identified, of whom 2,053 are  actively  engaged  in  seaweed  farming.  In  Gujarat's  Kori  Creek  projects  launched  in September  2023,  1,182  locals  (about  45%  women)  from  17  villages  received  training, alongside 250 villagers from 10 villages trained at Lakki Village. CSIR-CSMCRI has trained 2,529 stakeholders in cultivation and processing technology from 2017-2025, while ICARCMFRI has conducted 150 training programs on seaweed cultivation for over 12,800 fishing and other coastal communities along the Indian coast during last five years. Additionally, 230 farmers in Tamil Nadu were trained in tissue culture seedling production, and 220 fishers in Andaman & Nicobar Islands received hands-on training and demonstrations.

The  seaweed  cultivation  and  processing  sector  is  expected  to  generate  significant employment opportunities for coastal communities, particularly women, through expansion of farming, post-harvest handling, and value-addition activities in the coming years.

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