Mariculture is a specialized branch in aquaculture involving the cultivation of economically important marine plants and animals in the sea or offshore having tidal influence and includes onshore facilities like brood banks, hatcheries, nursery rearing and grow-out systems using seawater.
Mariculture involves three phases using the following types of facilities inland or in the sea:
1. Brood bank and Hatchery which involves land-based facilities to rear broodstock and produce seeds of marine finfish and shellfish such as bivalves, gastropods and crustaceans.
2. Nursery which involves rearing of juveniles to a size conducive for stocking in the grow-out systems which are land-based or inshore and
3. Grow-out includes aquaculture of marine plants and animals in the sea, open water bodies with tidal influence and closed land-based Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) systems using seawater.
Status of Mariculture in India
Mariculture has emerged as the fastest-growing production sector. In 2016, Mariculture contributed around 28.7 million tonnes of food fish which formed about 35.8% of the global food fish aquaculture production. The total Mariculture production including seaweeds was 58.7 million tonnes, which constituted 53.4% of the total world aquaculture production during 2016
Income-generating economic activities in Mariculture includes open sea cage cultivation, Seaweed cultivation and processing, pearl and bivalve cultivation and the government of India has provided financial assistance in 2019.
Mariculture policy was made to ensure sustainable farmed seafood production for the benefit of food and nutritional security of the Nation and to provide additional livelihood and entrepreneurial opportunities to the coastal communities for better living.
Pattern of Assistance by National Fisheries Development Board
Mariculture could be the future of fish production in India. Responding to the challenge, the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has proposed a comprehensive Mariculture policy to boost the output of marine food products, increases export and generate local employment for communities that have traditionally relied on the sea.
Mariculture is one of the best alternative employment options for India’s 40-lakh-odd fisher folk to meet the ever – increasing demand for fish