Union Fisheries Secretary Dr. Abhilaksh Likhi visited the seaweed cultivation site at Munnaikadu, Mandapam Camp, Tamil Nadu, interacting with seaweed farmers and women-led Self-Help Groups to promote sustainable livelihoods through seaweed farming. The visit was part of the Department's efforts to accelerate development of the seaweed value chain in India.
During the interactions, farmers demonstrated various cultivation techniques including monoline and raft-based methods, along with farming, maintenance and harvesting operations. The Secretary encouraged enhanced production and availing benefits under government schemes including Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) and Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY).
A meeting chaired by Dr. Likhi at ICAR-CMFRI Regional Centre reviewed progress of seaweed cultivation initiatives and discussed scaling up production, value addition, and market linkages. The Secretary highlighted India's significant potential for seaweed cultivation, noting the country's 11,099 km coastline provides favorable conditions for expansion, with research institutions identifying 384 suitable sites covering 24,707 hectares across Coastal States and Union Territories.
Under PMMSY, seaweed cultivation has been identified as a priority activity for employment generation and augmenting incomes of fishers and coastal communities. During 2020-25, projects worth ₹198.17 crore have been approved for seaweed development, including establishment of a Seaweed Park in Tamil Nadu. Financial assistance has been extended for installation of 37,255 seaweed culture rafts and 44,080 seaweed culture monoline units, along with support for seed banks, awareness, training and capacity-building initiatives.
Deliberations covered key priorities including strengthening inter-agency coordination, establishing decentralized seed banks, addressing implementation challenges in PMMSY projects, promoting entrepreneurship and market linkages, facilitating offshore seaweed cultivation, and expediting operationalization of the Tamil Nadu Seaweed Park. Discussions also covered expanding seaweed applications in food, animal feed, fertilizers and other value-added products.
Seaweed production in India has increased significantly from 18,890 tonnes in 2015 to 74,083 tonnes in 2024 and 82,728 tonnes in 2025. The Department has adopted a cluster-based approach, notifying 34 fisheries production and processing clusters across the country. Lakshadweep has been notified as a Seaweed Cluster and ICAR-CMFRI Regional Centre designated as a Centre of Excellence for seaweed development. Institutional mechanisms including an Inter-Ministerial Committee and Technical Advisory Committee on Seaweed Development have been established to facilitate coordinated sectoral development.