Suggestions for India’s Blue Economy

This is regarding India’s Blue Economy Policy. We are happy to see lot detailed information on India’s Blue economy Policy. Definitely we can get good economy from our oceanic region by promoting mariculture activities and other related aspects. We like to add some suggestions under Marine Fisheries, Aquaculture and Increasing sustainable marine capture fisheries.

Artificial reef deployment and Fish Aggregating Devices : Based on our NIOT experience in the following projects, Artificial reef deployment including High rise artificial reef and Fish Aggregating Devices for Tuna fishing, we can strongly recommend Artificial reef is the best method of restoration of marine biodiversity and to create new fishing grounds and the same artificial structures can protect the coast from cyclone or Tsunami when deployed in deep waters near coast.

Fish Aggregating Devices will also be helpful to increase the marine resources in our ocean waters apart from Tuna fishing in deep sea areas.

Artificial Floating Islands or Multipurpose floating platforms: Mariculture is the best method for marine conservation and to utilize the ocean surface for our economy. But due to heavy waves and rough sea in our Indian coast, we can’t carry intensively. By creating Artificial floating Islands or Multipurpose floating platforms, we can perform more open sea cage aquaculture and other related Ocean activities like Ocean Energy, desalination plants and Deep sea ports etc

Island Development: When comparing with main land coastal region, Andaman and Nicobar coast is more suitable for mariculture activites, so we should concentrate more on Islands for this kind development.

Integrated Mariculture : Further our approach should be Integrated farming by including seaweed and other marine organisms like bivalves near the open sea cage aquaculture to get full benefits by utilizing organic waste or nutrients released from fish feed waste and excretion.

Sea ranching: The old method of sea ranching should be considered to restore the marine organisms and conservation

Monitoring Marine Bioinvasion for Ocean Health; Prevention of marine bioinvasion is important in near future to maintain ocean health and that should be monitored, because that also one kind biological pollution. Already NIOT is working on Ballast Water Treatment Technology Test Facility to minimize bioinvasion.

Tuna Research Centre: Under Deep Sea Mission we can promote Tuna Research Centre for Tuna fishing and deep sea fishing.

Alternative Jobs to fishermen community: Alternative job and other related training must be encouraged to avoid more people depend on marine natural resources for their livelihood to minimize the degradation or total loss of biological resources