• Coastal aquaculture will cover all activities of coastal aquaculture under the purview of this Act.
• In 2005, coastal aquaculture activity was essentially shrimp farming. 
• Now newer forms of environment friendly coastal aquaculture such as cage culture, seaweed culture, bi-value culture, marine ornamental fish culture, pearl oyster culture etc. have come up which can be done in coastal areas and mostly within CRZ.

• Promotes newer forms of environment-friendly coastal aquaculture such as “cage culture, seaweed culture, bi-valve culture, marine ornamental fish culture and pearl oyster culture.

• Includes new provisions for preventing the risk of introducing or spreading harmful organisms within the coastal aquaculture unit which could lead to infectious diseases.

• Specific exemption granted under the CAA Act for the establishment of aquaculture units like hatcheries, Broodstock multiplication centers (BMC) and Nucleus Breeding Centres (NBC) within the No Development Zone (NDZ) [200m from the HTL] of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ).

• The coastal areas extending up to 500 m from the high tide line (HTL) and the land between the low tide line (LTL) and high tide line, were designated as coastal regulation zones (CRZ). 
• These zones were established by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change under the Environment Protection Act of 1986. 
• The Union environment ministry creates the CRZ Rules whereas the state governments ensure implementation through their respective Coastal Zone Management Authorities.

Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act (CAA)2005:

• The Act was introduced for the establishment of a “Coastal Aquaculture Authority” for regulating activities connected with coastal aquaculture in the coastal areas.