AQUACULTURE BILL – POLITY

AQUACULTURE BILL – POLITY

News: Government introduces Aquaculture Bill amid din in Lok Sabha

What's in the news?

●       The Government introduced the Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023, through its Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying.

Key takeaways:

●       The Bill seeks to amend certain provisions of the Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act, 2005 and decriminalize offences under it for “promoting ease of doing business” and fine-tuning the “operational procedures of Coastal Aquaculture Authority”.

●       Besides amending the Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act, 2005, the Bill seeks to clarify that “coastal aquaculture and activities connected therewith” shall continue to be regulated by “the Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act and no other Acts.”

Key Provisions of the Bills:

1. Broaden the definition of "Coastal aquaculture":

●       The 2023 Bill seeks to broaden the definition of “coastal aquaculture” or “coastal aquaculture activity” to mean “rearing and cultivation of any life stages of fish, including crustacean, mollusc, finfish, seaweed or any other aquatic life under controlled conditions, either indoor or outdoor, in cement cisterns, ponds, pens, cages, rafts, enclosures or otherwise in saline or brackish water in coastal areas, including activities such as production of brood stock, seed, grow out, but does not include freshwater aquaculture.

2. New forms of eco-friendly coastal aquaculture:

●       It aims to promote newer forms of environment-friendly coastal aquaculture such as “cage culture, seaweed culture, bi-valve culture, marine ornamental fish culture and pearl oyster culture”, which, it adds, has the potential for creating employment opportunities on a large scale for coastal fisher communities and especially fisherwomen.

3. Disease-free broodstocks and seeds:

●       It also aims to encourage the establishment of facilities in areas having direct access to seawater to produce genetically improved and disease-free broodstocks and seeds for use in coastal aquaculture.

4. Prevent the use of antibiotics:

●       The Bill seeks to prevent the use of antibiotics and “pharmacologically active substances”, which are harmful to human health in coastal aquaculture.

5. Provisions for “biosecurity”:

●       The Bill also includes new provisions for “biosecurity”, which refers to measures and strategies for analyzing, managing, and preventing the risk of introducing or spreading harmful organisms like viruses and bacteria within the coastal aquaculture unit, which could lead to infectious diseases.

6. Broodstock Multiplication Centre:

●       It provides for the introduction of a “Brood Stock Multiplication Centre” which receives “post-larvae or juvenile which are specific pathogen free” or tolerant or resistant to such pathogens or other post-larvae or juveniles from a “Nucleus Breeding Centre”, to be reared under strict biosecurity and disease surveillance.

7. Adjudicating authority:

●       The Centre to authorise an officer not below the rank of government Under Secretary to function as an adjudicating officer imposing penalties under the Act.

8. Appellate mechanism:

●       Besides adjudicating authority, the Centre can authorise any officer of the Authority or the State Government or the Central Government, not below the rank of Deputy Secretary, to function as the Appellate Authority.

9. Power of Civil court:

●       The adjudicating officer or the Appellate Authority shall have the same powers as are vested in a civil court under the CPC, 1908 while trying a suit, which includes

○       summoning and enforcing the attendance of witnesses

○       requiring the discovery and production of documents

○       requisitioning any public record or document or copy of such record or document from any office receiving evidence on affidavits and

○       issuing commissions for the examination of witnesses or documents.

10. Decriminalisation of certain offences:

●       The Bill aims to decriminalize the offences under the Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act.

11. Fine-tuning operational procedures:

●       It seeks to promote ease of doing business and to fine-tune the operational procedures of the authority.

WAY FORWARD:

●       Scientists and aquaculture farmers have suggested a comprehensive approach involving various stakeholders and government departments to address issues confronting the sector.

●       Scientists stress the need for comprehensive legislation and an inter-state mechanism for fisheries management across the country.

GO BACK TO BASICS:

AQUACULTURE:

●       Aquaculture essentially means, breeding, raising, and harvesting fish, shellfish, and aquatic plants.

●       It is a controlled process of cultivating aquatic organisms, especially meant for human consumption.

●       The farming of aquatic organisms including fish, molluscs, crustaceans and aquatic plants. Farming implies some sort of intervention in the rearing process to enhance production, such as regular stocking, feeding, protection from predators.

●       Aquaculture can be practised on about 12 lakh hectares in the country along the coast, of which only 14% has been utilized so far.

CLASSIFICATION OF AQUACULTURE:

1. Freshwater aquaculture
2. Coastal aquaculture
3. Sea farming
4. Brackish water aquaculture

Potential in India:

●       India is the 3rd largest fish producing and 2nd largest aquaculture nation in the world after China.

●       The Blue Revolution in India demonstrated the importance of the Fisheries and Aquaculture sector.

●       The sector is considered as a sunrise sector and is poised to play a significant role in the Indian economy in near future.

●       In the recent past, Indian fisheries have witnessed a paradigm shift from marine-dominated fisheries to inland fisheries, with the latter emerging as a major contributor to fish production from 36% in the mid-1980 to 70% in the recent past.

Initiatives:

1. Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY):

●       The Government of India approved the flagship scheme, Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), in May 2020 under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat COVID-19 relief package with a vision to bring about Blue Revolution through sustainable and responsible development of the fisheries sector.

2. New sub-scheme named Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PMMKSSY) announced in the Union Budget 2023-24 to further enhance the earnings and incomes of fishermen, fish vendors and micro & small enterprises engaged in the fisheries sector.

Challenges:

●       India is yet to catch up with its global counterparts in quality infrastructure, tech adoption, and financial inclusion.

●       The farmers and other stakeholders sometimes were worried about poor exports and fall in prices in the international market.