Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023, recently passed by Parliament. These amendments seek to address ambiguities, streamline administrative processes, and integrate emerging aquaculture practices.
Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act, 2005
- Coastal aquaculture refers to the practice of cultivating and rearing aquatic organisms, such as fish, shellfish, and aquatic plants, in marine or brackish water environments along the coastlines or in estuaries.
- The Act is about creating a special organization, called the Coastal Aquaculture Authority, to control and manage the activities related to raising seafood in areas near the coast.
- According to the Act, the government has the duty to take actions to make sure that coastal aquaculture is done in a way that doesn’t harm the environment.
Major Provisions Related to Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment ) Bill, 2023
Expanding the Scope of Coastal Aquaculture Activities:Broaden Definition of Coastal Aquaculture: The amendments aims to bring all coastal aquaculture activities under the purview of the Act, removing ambiguities between different aspects of coastal aquaculture.
Inclusion of Emerging Aquaculture Practices: The amendments acknowledge the evolution of environmentally friendly aquaculture practices beyond shrimp farming, incorporating methods like cage culture, seaweed culture, marine ornamental fish culture, and more.These practices align with the evolving landscape and offer substantial revenue and employment opportunities for coastal communities.
Facilitating Aquaculture Units within the No Development Zone (NDZ): Establishments like hatcheries, Broodstock multiplication centers (BMC), and Nucleus Breeding Centres (NBC) are now permitted to operate within 200 meters from the High Tide Line (HTL).The amendment aims to address previous uncertainties arising from the interpretation of Section 13(8) of the original CAA Act of 2005, which had excluded coastal aquaculture from CRZ regulations.
Status of Coastal Aquaculture in India
- India has a coastline of about 7,517 km, and a vast potential for coastal aquaculture development. The major coastal aquaculture species in India are shrimp, fish, crab, oyster, mussel, seaweed, and pearl.
- Over the past 9 years, shrimp production in India surged by 267%.
- The nation’s seafood exports experienced a doubling effect, surging from Rs 30,213 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 63,969 crore in 2022-23.
- Notably, the major portion of these exports is attributed to shrimp.
- Key coastal states such as Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu played a significant role in propelling the expansion of coastal aquaculture shrimp production and subsequent exports.