Unlocking vast potential

The efforts aimed at boosting the generation of alternative livelihoods through seaweed farming need to be complemented with robust institutional credit and extensive risk coverage for optimal outcomes

- ABHILAKSH LIKHI

Jeya Lakshmi, Jeya Thangam and Kaleeswari are natives of Mandapam village in District Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu. These women belong to poor coastal fisher families without any additional source of income. To enhance their income, they teamed to learn the basics of seaweed farming. Amidst the challenges of rough seas, seedling supplies and marketing, training has enabled them to produce seaweed, increase their income and, in fact, generate employment for six persons! The above-mentioned success story and many more across the country are a part of a robust ecosystem for alternative livelihoods in fisheries and aquaculture, nurtured through the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).

The latter, with the cooperation of state governments, has plugged critical gaps in fisheries development for more than 2.8 crore fishers/fish farmers, of which 44 per cent are women.

In India, seaweed grows abundantly along the coasts of Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Lakshadweep, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Commercial farming practiced in the states of Tamil Nadu and Gujarat relies on a workforce that primarily consists of women workers. This is being supplemented with research and demonstrations along a coastline of over 8,000 kilometres (harbouring about 844 species) to explore the scope of approximately 9 million tonnes of production.