Economic prosperity and environmental sustainability through seaweed culture

Johnson, B and Divu, D and Mojjada, Suresh Kumar and Koya, Mohammed and Tamilmani, G and Megarajan, Sekhar and Ignatius, Boby and Vinod, K and Suresh, V V R and George, Grinson and Madhu, K and Muktha, M and Ratheesh Kumar, R and Gopalakrishnan, A (2023) Economic prosperity and environmental sustainability through seaweed culture. Marine Fisheries Information Service, Technical and Extension Series (257). pp. 30-40. ISSN 0254-380X

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Abstract

Seaweed farming is a climate-resilient aquaculture practice that provides a sustainable, diversified livelihood option for coastal communities. This cultivation does not require land, freshwater or fertilizers. It reduces the effects of oceanic eutrophication and acidification and oxygenates seawater to create a healthy ecosystem. Seaweeds are valued commercially for their cell wall polysaccharides, such as agar, algin, and carrageenan, and for their bioactive metabolites, manure and fodder. They have a variety of commercial applications in food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics and mining industries. Some seaweeds are also gaining importance as healthy food for human consumption. There are almost 10,000 species of seaweeds available globally that are divided into three main types; red, brown and green seaweeds. India is bestowed with a rich seaweed diversity of nearly 700 species and of these, nearly 60 species are commercially important owing to their high content of polysaccharides. Worldwide, 35.1 million tonnes wet weight of seaweed were produced during 2020, with the first sale value estimated at 16.5 billion USD (FAO, 2022). In India, nearly 47,000 tonnes wet weight of seaweeds are harvested annually from natural seaweed beds (species of Sargassum, Turbinaria, Gracilaria and Gelidiella) (FRAD, CMFRI, 2023). Estimated Potential Yield of seaweeds from the Indian seas is approximately 0.26 million MT/ year (wet weight) (Kaladharan et al., 2019). India contributes less than one percent of global seaweed production having an annual turnover of around ₹200 Crores. Among the global seaweed production through farming, Kappaphycus alvarezii and Eucheuma denticulatum contributes to 27.8% of the total seaweed production. Harvesting from natural seaweed beds along the Indian coast is carried out primarily in Tamil Nadu, where the system supports the livelihood of almost 5000 families. In India, seaweed farming is being carried out with Kappaphycus alvarezii. It is an economically important red algal species that yields carrageenan, a commercially important polysaccharide. Farming of K. alvarezii by the fisherfolk of Tamil Nadu coast had the highest yield; 1,500 tonnes of dry weight, in 2012-13. However, production sharply declined after 2013 due to mass mortality. Approximately 400-500 tonnes of dry weight per year are currently being produced, involving approximately 1,500–2,000 families along the Tamil Nadu coast.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Seaweed culture
Subjects:	Aquaculture > Farming/Culture Algae > Seaweed Socio Economics and Extension > Fisheries Economics Aquaculture > Mariculture
Divisions:	CMFRI-Kochi > Mariculture Division Subject Area > CMFRI > CMFRI-Kochi > Mariculture Division CMFRI-Kochi > Mariculture Division Subject Area > CMFRI-Kochi > Mariculture Division CMFRI-Mandapam CMFRI-Tuticorin CMFRI-Veraval CMFRI-Visakhapatnam CMFRI - Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK)
Depositing User:	Arun Surendran
Date Deposited:	27 Mar 2024 08:48
Last Modified:	08 Apr 2024 04:09
URI:	http://eprints.cmfri.org.in/id/eprint/18233

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