Mariculture in India: An overview

Suresh, V V R and Rajesh, N and Ignatius, Boby and Gopalakrishnan, A (2024) Mariculture in India: An overview. In: Training Manual on Fisheries Management Practices and Techniques. CMFRI Training Manual Series No. 43/2024 . ICAR- Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi, pp. 129-138.

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Abstract

By 2050, the world is projected to need a 50% increase in food production to sustain an anticipated global population of 9.7 billion (FAO, 2017). Meeting this demand presents considerable challenges due to the existing scarcity of land and freshwater resources, along with the looming threats of climate change and geopolitical impacts. Within the global food production landscape, aquaculture has emerged as the fastestgrowing sector, with an annual growth rate exceeding 6% over the past two decades. Among the various segments of aquaculture, mariculture is the most rapidly expanding sub sector, holding immense growth potential. In 2020, mariculture contributed a substantial 33.0 million tonnes of food fish, approximately 27% of the global food fish aquaculture production. The overall mariculture production, including seaweeds, reached an impressive 68.1 million tonnes, accounting for a significant 55.6% of the total world aquaculture production that year. With its growing demand for seafood, India is well-positioned to harness the significant potential of mariculture, recognizing that reliance on the capture fisheries sector alone cannot meet this increasing demand. The National Policy on Marine Fisheries (NPMF, 2017) highlights the pivotal role of mariculture in enhancing fish production from coastal waters. In line with this policy, the government is committed to addressing the institutional and commercial requirements of the emerging mariculture sector. This commitment includes formulating leasing rights policies, spatial planning, providing technological inputs such as husbandry, seed, feed, and health management, and addressing environmental and social impacts. Additionally, there is a concerted effort to build capacity among local fishers and entrepreneurs to actively participate in mariculture.

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