Parliament Question: Promoting sea cage farming and ornamental fish farming

O.I.H GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2150 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11th MARCH, 2026 Promoting sea cage farming and ornamental fish farming 2150#. Shri Dhairyashil Mohan Patil: Will the Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying be pleased to state: (a) whether Government proposes to promote sea cage farming, as well as marine/inland ornamental fish and pearl farming, in the Alibag-Shrivardhan coastal area, particularly in the Murud and Shrivardhan blocks, under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY); and (b) if so, the proposed financial assistance, technical support such as setting up cold chain infrastructure to tap the market potential with minimal losses and the timeline thereof and if not, the reasons therefor? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING SHRI RAJIV RANJAN SINGH ALIAS LALAN SINGH (a) & (b): The Department of Fisheries (DoF), Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying(MoFAH&D), Government of India is implementing a flagship scheme Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana in all States/UTs including Maharashtra. Under the PMMSY promotion of mariculture activities and additional livelihood generating activities like ornamental fish farming and pearl farming are priority areas. During last 5 years and the current financial year, the Department of Fisheries, GoI has approved fisheries developmental projects of Government of Maharashtra amounting to Rs. 1472.75 crore under the PMMSY for implementation in all potential districts. The activities approved inter-alia also included ornamental fish brood bank (1 unit) backyard/medium ornamental fish rearing (16 units), integrated ornamental fish rearing (32 units), recreational fisheries (13 units), open sea cage farming (110 units). Government of Maharashtra has informed that a total of 09 Open Sea Cage Culture Units and 39 ‘Freshwater Ornamental Fish Rearing Units’ are currently implemented in the State. In Raigad district, the applications for ‘Open Sea Cage Culture’ component were not received, whereas 39 units of ornamental fisheries have been implemented in Alibag-Shrivardhan coastal area. The DoF, GoI has launched a Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) on Development of Mariculture in all coastal States/UTs including in Maharashtra. The mariculture activities include sea cage farming, marine ornamental fisheries and pearl farming. Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR-CMFRI) has informed that 5 sites suitable for cage farming has been identified with an area of 1915 ha along the Maharashtra coast and 340 ha in Shrivardhan area in particular. ICAR-Central Marine Research Institute (ICAR-CMFRI) has also demonstrated open-sea cage farming at different locations of the state of Maharashtra under Tribal sub-scheme. ICAR-Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture (ICAR-CIBA) has developed and demonstrated cage farming of Asian seabass in brackishwater creeks in different coastal districts of the Maharashtra state and there are over 300 cages are in operation. Further, ICAR-Central Institutes of Fisheries Education (ICAR-CIFE) has been conducting training and demonstration programme on breeding and culture of ornamental fishes in Maharashtra. ****