Mariculture for income, employment and empowerment

Imelda, Joseph (2023) Mariculture for income, employment and empowerment. In: Winter School on Mariculture Technologies for Income Multiplication, Employment, Livelihood and Empowerment. ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi, pp. 12-17.

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Abstract

Mariculture involves the cultivation of marine organisms for food and other products in an enclosed section of the sea (cages/pens), or in tanks, recirculating systems, ponds or raceways in seawater. It is a promising sector by which the additional marine fish requirement can be met in the future years. It is also the fastest growing sub-sector of aquaculture. At global level, mariculture produces many high valued finfishes, crustaceans and molluscs viz. oysters, mussels, clams, cockles and scallops. Total fisheries and aquaculture production reached a record 214 million tonnes in 2020, comprising 178 million tonnes of aquatic animals and 36 million tonnes of algae and consumption has now reached 20.2 kg per capita, more than double the consumption in the 1960s (SOFIA, 2022). An estimated 58.5 million people were employed in the primary sector. It is estimated that about 600 million livelihoods depend at least partially on fisheries and aquaculture for subsistence and secondary sector workers and their dependents. In 2020, the global aquaculture production was 122.6 million tonnes, with a total value of USD 281.5 billion. Aquatic animals accounted for 87.5 million tonnes and algae comprised 35.1 million tonnes. India is the world's second-largest aquaculture nation and the third-largest fish producer after China. Aquaculture in brackish or saline water has flourished in India. Farmed shrimp production increased from 20 MT in 1970 to 7.47 lakh MT in 2020. Presently, India produces 7.96% of the world's fish. The total fish output for 2020–21 was 14.73 million metric tonnes (MMT), with contributions from the inland and marine sectors at 11.25 MMT and 3.48 MMT, respectively.

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