Coastal Aquaculture Authority (CAA)
Context:
The Coastal Aquaculture Authority (CAA), Chennai started a national campaign to achieve 100% farm registration in the country from Nagapattinam.
Relevance:
GS-03 (Food security)
Coastal Aquaculture Authority (CAA) :
- The Coastal Aquaculture Authority (CAA) was established under the Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act, 2005.
- It is under the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
- The CAA regulates the activities connected with coastal aquaculture in coastal areas and matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
- The main objective of the Authority is to regulate coastal aquaculture activities in coastal areas to ensure sustainable development without causing damage to the coastal environment.
- The Authority is empowered to make regulations for the construction and operation of aquaculture farms in coastal areas, inspection of farms to ascertain their environmental impact, registration of aquaculture farms, fix standards for inputs and effluents, remove or demolition of coastal aquaculture farms, which cause pollution, etc.
What’s the current state of coastal aquaculture in India?
- India boasts a coastline stretching approximately 7,517 km, presenting immense opportunities for the development of coastal aquaculture.
- The country primarily focuses on cultivating various species including shrimp, fish, crab, oyster, mussel, seaweed, and pearl.
- In the last nine years, shrimp production in India has skyrocketed by more than 270%. During this period, seafood exports from the nation doubled, escalating from Rs 30,213 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 63,969 crore in 2022-23.
- The growth of coastal aquaculture, especially in shrimp production and subsequent exports, has been largely driven by key coastal states such as Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu.
