Context: 

The  National Conference on Promotion of Seaweed Cultivation was chaired by the Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying  at Koteshwar (Kori Creek), Kutch, Gujarat.

Seaweed Cultivation in India

• The Pilot was conducted at the Koteshwar (Kori Creek), Kutch, Gujarat where diverse  methods of seaweed cultivation viz. Monoline, tube-net and rafts were  demonstrated by CMFRI, CSMCRI and NFDB during the National Conference on Seaweed Development.

About Seaweeds

• Seaweeds are a form of macroscopic algae, a primitive type of plant lacking true roots, stems and leavesHabitat: They  grow  in the marine and shallow coastal waters or brackish water habitats and on rocky shores.
• Types:   seaweeds are recognized into Four groups  according to their pigments that absorb light of particular wavelengths. 

• • These are Chlorophyta (green algae), Phaeophyta (brown algae) and Rhodophyta (red algae) and Blue algae.
  • India possesses around 434 species of Red Algae, 194 species of Brown Algae, and 216 species of Green Algae.
• In India: Around 844 species of seaweeds have been reported from Indian seas primarily found along the coast of Tamil Nadu and Gujarat  and around Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Application of Seaweed

• Renewable  source of Food, energy, chemicals and medicines with manifold nutritional, industrial, biomedical, agriculture and personal care applications.
• Pharmaceutical Industry: They are used as laxatives, for making pharmaceutical capsules, in the treatment of goitre cancer, in bone-replacement therapy and in cardiovascular surgeries.
• Industrial:  They are a source of Agar, Alginates and Carrageenan used in laboratories, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, cardboard, paper, paint and processed foods. 
• Environmental Benefits: Seaweeds are incredibly efficient at sucking up carbon dioxide and using it to grow.
  • For Example: Eelgrass, mangroves, and salt marshes are  known for their ability to store carbon.
• Bioplastic: The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) has developed a bioplastic film using marine seaweed and PEG-3000 which could have a huge impact on limiting the usage of non-biodegradable plastics and a game-changer in the plastic industry

Seaweed Cultivation in India: Status, Importance and Challenges

• In 2022, the global production of seaweed was close to 35 million tonnes  worth about $16.5 billion. In comparison, India only had a production of 34,000 tonnes.
  • The Indian government has created a package of Rs 640 crore to promote seaweed cultivation of up to 1.12 million tonnes by 2025.
  • India has the potential to produce around 9.7 million tonnes of seaweed per year, according to the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute.

• Importance of Seaweed Cultivation

• • Additional income source: It provides occupation and source of income  for the coastal people.
  • Address scarcity concerns: Provide a continuous supply of raw materials for seaweed-based industry.
  • Conservation efforts: Conserve natural populations of concerned seaweeds.
  • Eco-friendly: Seaweed cultivation is a major tool to treat coastal pollution in the sea and reduce CO2

• Challenges in Cultivation

  • Overexploitation of sea beds: leading to a scarcity of raw material, poor quality raw material
  • Manpower unavailability: labour shortages during the paddy harvesting season
  • Technological backwardness: lack of technology to improve processed product quality 
  • Information deficit: lack of information on new and alternative sources of raw materials. 

News Source: PIB