Lok Sabha Question No. 4268 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-19
Subject: Seaweed Cultivation
Ministry: FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING
Asked by: Shri B K Parthasarathi

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

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 4268 TO BE ANSWERED ON 19 th  August, 2025

## Seaweed Cultivation

## 4268.  Shri B K Parthasarathi :

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

- (a) the details regarding the volume of seaweed cultivated in the country during the last five years, year and State-wise;
- (b)  the  details  regarding  the  list  of  locations  in  Andhra  Pradesh  where  seaweed  is cultivated;
- (c)  the  details  regarding  the  locations  identified  for  offshore  and  onshore  seaweed cultivation as per feasibility studies conducted by the Government;
- (d)  whether  the  Government  has  carried  out any  assessment  of  the  impact  of  climate change on the yield and productivity of seaweed cultivation;
- (e)  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  if  not,  the  reasons  therefor,  State-wise  especially  for Andhra Pradesh; and
- (f) the measures being taken by the Government to develop the climate-resilient varieties of seaweed germlings?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (c): Indian coastline of 11,099 km with favourable conditions has immense potential for  seaweed  cultivation.  As  per  ICAR-Central  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. The seaweed cultivation is mainly reported from Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Lakshadweep, whereas the pilot scale projects have been undertaken in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands. As a result of these initiatives, the seaweed production has increased from 18,890 tonnes in 2015 to 74,083 tonnes in 2024.

The  Research  Institutions  have  identified  384  suitable  sites  covering  24,707  hectares across the coastline of India for seaweed cultivation including 40 sites (1355 ha.) along the Andhra Pradesh coastline. State Government of Andhra Pradesh has informed that seaweed  sector  in  Andhra  Pradesh  is  still  at  the  pilot  stage,  and  the  pilot  studies  of seaweed cultivation are taking place at following 04 locations:

|   Sl.No. | District      | Mandal      | Location       |
|----------|---------------|-------------|----------------|
|        1 | Srikakulam    | Etcherla    | Budagatlapalem |
|        2 | Visakhapatnam | Bheemili    | R K Beach      |
|        3 | Bapatla       | Chinaganjam | Yetimoga       |
|        4 | SPSR Nellore  | Ulavapadu   | Ramayapatnam   |

(d) to (f): The ICAR-CMFRI has informed that studies are being undertaken to improve the farming  techniques  and  production  efficiency  of  different  species  of  seaweeds  viz., Kappaphycus and Gracilaria. As the seaweed sector in Andhra Pradesh is still at nascent stage, no such studies have been taken up by the Government of Andhra Pradesh. The Government is promoting advanced cultivation techniques through tissue/spore culture, establishing  multi-species  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. Besides, the Department of Fisheries, Government of India (DoF, GoI) in October, 2024 has issued the 'Guidelines for Import of Live Seaweeds into India'  to  facilitate  import  of  high-quality  seed  materials  or  germplasm  from  abroad, enabling domestic multiplication for ensuring farmers have access to quality seed stock.

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