All macroscopic algae occurring in the marine,

coastal and brackish water habitats are termed as

seaweeds. They are valued commercially for their

polysaccharides deposited in the cell wall besides,

minerals, metabolites and nutraceuticals that can

be developed from them. Along the Indian coast,

844 species of marine algae comprising 216 species

of Chlorophyta, 191 species of Phaeophyta, 434

species of Rhodophyta and 3 species of Xanthophyta

are estimated. The seaweed resources surveys

carried out so far by the ICAR- CMFRI, Kochi; CSMCRI,

Bhavnagar and NIO, Goa in the intertidal and shallow

water areas of east and west coasts and

Lakshadweep and Andamans, estimated a total

standing crop of all the seaweeds in Indian waters

as more than 2,60,876 tonnes (wet weight)

Gopalakrishnan, A

Kaladharan, P

Kripa, V

CMFRI Digital Repository

Mar. Fish. Infor. Serv., T & E Ser., No. 230, 2016 29Action Plan on seaweed  exploitation, mariculture and utilization in IndiaP. Kaladharan, V. Kripa  and A. GopalakrishnanICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochie-mail: kaladharanep@gmail.comAll macroscopic algae occurring in the marine,coastal and brackish water habitats are termed asseaweeds.  They are valued commercially for theirpolysaccharides deposited in the cell wall besides,minerals, metabolites and nutraceuticals that canbe developed from them. Along the Indian coast,844 species of marine algae comprising 216 speciesof Chlorophyta, 191 species of Phaeophyta, 434species of Rhodophyta and 3 species of Xanthophytaare estimated. The seaweed resources surveyscarried out so far by the ICAR- CMFRI, Kochi; CSMCRI,Bhavnagar and NIO, Goa in the intertidal and shallowwater areas of east and west coasts andLakshadweep and Andamans, estimated a totalstanding crop of all the seaweeds in Indian watersas more than 2,60,876 tonnes (wet weight).Acute shortage of agar yielding red seaweedsall over the world can jeopardize the researchprogrammes in the fields of biology and medicinefor want of agar and agarose.  In India too reductionin the quantity of wild collected native seaweedslike species of Gracilaria and Gelidiella is beingobserved. Red seaweeds are now imported from SriLanka, Morocco and SAARC countries with importduty varying between 4–37%. Most of the agarproducing units in India remain shut due to lack ofraw material and high import duty. This acuteshortage in raw material supply is mainly due toindiscriminate exploitation of seaweeds over theyears from Tamil Nadu coast (3700-4500 tonnes drywt/ year) coupled with habitat destruction.In December 2003 the National Academy ofAgricultural Sciences organised a Round Table on‘Seaweed Cultivation and Utilisation’ to discussvarious aspects of seaweed cultivation andutilisation in India pertaining to their resources anddiversity, biomass estimation, sustainableexploitation, commercial cultivation andprocessing, herbaria and algal cryopreservation,introduction of exotics and problems faced by theindustries. The recommendations that emerged outof the  Round Table  was brought out in the form ofa policy document(Seaweed Culture and Utilization,No 22(2003) NAAS, New Delhi). During February2016,  the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries ResearchInstitute with the support of Department ofBiotechnology, New Delhi organized a 'NationalConsultation on mariculture, utilization and valueaddition of seaweeds for the livelihood security ofcoastal population' and an Action Plan was preparedas detailed below.A. Seaweed resources and exploitation1. Undertake study to revise seaweed biomassestimates for commercially important seaweedresources since most records available are outdated (more than 30 years back).2. A GIS map indicating the biomass for harvestalong the Indian coast is very much essential.3. Encourage proper scientific and improvedseaweed collection methods for profitability andfor sustainability, while avoiding over harvest,destruction of habitat and harvest of immatureseaweeds.4. Develop seaweed harvest calendar for eachregion.5. Annual data on seaweed resources exploited,edible products and other products to bemaintained and documented.Mar. Fish. Infor. Serv., T & E Ser., No. 230, 2016306. Identify reasons for decline and methods forrepopulation.7. Identify stress resistant strains from naturalenvironment and also develop stress resistantstrains of cultivable species.8. The large scale exploitation of seaweeds foralmost entire industrial units of our nation is fromthe south east coast and hence this exploitationand processing sector along the Gulf of Mannarand Palk Bay shall be certified by the MarineStewardship Council or Aquaculture StewardshipCouncil.B. Seaweed Farming1. Identify ideal sites exclusive for seaweed farmingfor each State/ UTs towards  socio-economicupliftment of the coastal community.2. Improve seaweed farming methods- reducerecurring expenditure, develop off- shorefarming methods.3. Promote horizontal expansion of seaweedfarming- Pilot studies to be conducted anddevelopment to be made only in areas wherethe coastal villagers are interested to take upfarming.4. Against the indiscriminate exploitation ofseaweeds for commerce, seaweed maricultureis the only alternative towards steady supply ofraw material and for sustainability, while thenatural beds will be conserved.  This has to beaddressed through the Integrated MultitrophicAquaculture (IMTA) programme along the Indiancoast.5. To ensure steady supply of raw materials, highpriority to be accorded for large scalemariculture.6. Explore import/ introduction of planting materialboth to reinvigorate and diversify the cultivarsfollowing all legal formalities.7. In the context of Climate Change and its resultantsea level rise, estuaries are expected to beinundated with seawater and more and moreprotected bays and estuaries can be broughtunder seaweed cultivation. Brackishwaterspecies of seaweeds if any can be consideredfor large scale cultivation.8. Large scale cultivation of seaweeds for industrialrequirements can be encouraged for mitigatingocean acidification and can offer livelihoodsupport to many coastal fisherfolks. Creatingawareness through socioeconomic interventionscan bring in more benefits.9. Carrying capacity has to be carried out in theseaweed farming sites to optimize the yield andto avoid crashing of crops as happened recentlyat Palk Bay in the case of Kappaphycus alvarezii.10. Availability of seed stock is the major decidingfactor for making commercial cultivation moreviable. Hence the stock improvement and seedproduction technology can be attempted throughbiotechnological interventions in collaborationwith the Department of Biotechnology, NewDelhi. Natural seed banks can also be createdeither in ponds or in suitable sub-tidal regions.11. Commercial farming of unconventionalagarophytes such as Gracilaria dura and G.debilis (Gracilariaceae, Rhodophyta) and theirvalue addition through linkage with industrialpartners.12. Introduction of new strains of Kappaphycus andother commercially important seaweeds such asGracilaria NBr-10, a fast growing red seaweedfrom subtropical climatic zones.C. Utilization1. Utilization of seaweed and seaweed products,their value addition and postharvest technologyare to be addressed with major thrust.Mar. Fish. Infor. Serv., T & E Ser., No. 230, 2016 312. Programmes on utilization of spent biomass ofseaweed industries for manure, biodieselproduction etc should be strengthened.3. Seaweeds are regarded as highly potentialbiomass sources for quality biofuel productiondue to their rapid multiplication and growth rate(8-10 times faster) compared to terrestrial andaquatic higher plants.  Farming of marine algaeis a green technology without the involvementof energy, fertilizers and chemical inputs and isnot a labour intensive avocation.4. Large scale mariculture of marine algae candefinitely check ocean acidification considerably.It is estimated that 3% of world’s coastal waterswith seaweeds grown would produce 230billion litres of ethanol.5. As majority of seaweeds lack lignin and pectinon their cell walls, their breakdown andfermentation can be hastened and enhanced bythe involvement of suitable microbes (Bacillusspp; Vibrio splendidus etc).  The bioethanol thusproduced from seaweeds can be blended withpetrol.  The energy content of algal biomass isroughly 4700 k cal/kg compared to the energyvalue of coal (3600-4200 k cal/kg).6. For functional foods and bioactive secondarymetabolites search for new seaweed species areto be strengthened.D. Policy:1. Seaweed based bio-stimulants for use inagriculture should be duly notified as agriculturalinputs by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’welfare.2. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India(FSSAI) may be requested to harmonize IndianStandards for use of carrageenan as a foodadditive in line with the CODEX standards.3. Adopt single window system in the form of aNodal Cell for seaweed cultivation, processingand marketing to be set up under the Ministry ofAgriculture and Farmers’ welfare similar to theBureau of Aquatic Products as in China,Philippines and Indonesia.4. Explore the possibilities of lifting restriction onexport of farmed red seaweeds.  Anomaly inclassification of agar, algin and carageenan underthe Central Excise and Customs tariff  requiresto be rectified.5. Clearance for use of specific coastal watersshould be obtained for seaweed farming fromCoastal Zone Management Authorities.6. Cultivation of seaweeds and the harvested (wet/dry) seaweeds shall be treated respectively asagricultural cultivation and agricultural producesfor the purpose of fiscal levies.7. Seaweed cultivation should be encouraged andundertaken all over the  Indian coasts as seaweedcultivation is ecologically safe and greentechnology helps sequester CO2 levels and thuscheck ocean acidification.8. For the production and marketing  of value addedproducts raw material exploitation  from thenatural beds should not be encouraged  and theraw material requirement  should be  met frommariculture at least in a phased manner orlimited the cast ashore  materials.9. Harvesting of seaweeds from natural beds to beregulated  by fixing quota system and restrictedduring post reproductive stage (after completingthe  spore liberation) to ensure  and enhancenatural stock.10. Harvesting seaweeds from the natural bedsshould be regulated in such a way that thisprocess should not  spoil  the habitat.E. Researchable areas1. Integrated Multi Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) –further refining for areas with high tidalamplitudes and horizontal expansion.Mar. Fish. Infor. Serv., T & E Ser., No. 230, 201632Observations on the epifaunal assemblage of micro-mollusc Electroma vexillumon the seagrass beds of  Tuticorin coastP. S. Asha1,  K. Diwakar1, I. Jagadis1 and  V. Kripa21Tuticorin Research Centre of  ICAR- Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute,  Thoothukudi2ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, KochiSeagrass habitats form a highly productive fragileecosystem, which offers food, shelter, and essentialnursery areas of many  fish and benthicinvertebrates like crustaceans, bivalves,echinoderms and other groups  that are producedwithin, or migrate to that habitats.During our regular visit to the seagrass beds ofthe erstwhile Pandian island of Tuticorin coast, inconnection with the assessment of the populationcharacteristics of seagrass beds,  small forms ofbivalve species  were noticed to heavily infest theblades of three resident species of seagrass likeCymodocea serrulata, Halophila ovalis andSyringodium isoetifolium. The bivalves were havinginequable, fragile, translucent, obliquely wedge-shaped  shell valves  which were  mostly greenishto brown in colour with narrow dark brown zigzaglines on the dorsal shell valves (Fig. 1).The shell length of the collected specimens wasmeasured using a digital calliper and total weightby using an electronic balance after drying inblotting papers. The specimens were camouflagingthe available seagrass habitat showing distinctcolour patterns and significant preference orzonation in their distribution. Larger specimens ofsize ranging from 5.9 - 10.4mm with a mean ± SEof 8.08 ± 0.43 mm and a corresponding weightranging from 0.043 to 0.08g (0.06 ± 0.004g) andwith the mean length to height proportion of 1.5 ±0.16 were noticed adhering on leaf blades ofseagrass species with broad leaves like Halophilaovalis   and Cymodocea serrulata, (Fig. 2), whereasspat of the same species having a length rangingFig.1 Close-up view of Electroma vexillum2. Integrated taxonomic approaches fordocumenting the seaweed resources of India.3. Development of stress resistant and geneticallyimproved high yielding strains of commerciallyimportant seaweeds for improving livelihoodoptions of coastal communities.4. Bio prospecting of novel molecules from marinealgae of native origin for industrial and healthapplications.For more livelihood opportunities, betterutilization of seaweeds and to increase nationalproduction, linkages between researchers, farmersand industries must be strengthened through an AllIndia Coordinated Research Project on Seaweeds.

Action Plan on seaweed exploitation, mariculture and utilization in India

http://eprints.cmfri.org.in/11947/1/MFIS_230_11.pdf

Action Plan on seaweed exploitation, mariculture and utilization in India

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

CMFRI Digital Repository