Sea Ranching Initiative to Boost Marine Fisheries | 15 Nov 2024

Source: TH

The Kerala Fisheries Department launched a sea ranching project off Thiruvananthapuram, with 10 lakh pompano and cobia fingerlings (marine fish species) to be released at 10 coastal locations to replenish marine fishery resources and support sustainable fishing.

Sea ranching, or ocean ranching, is a type of fish farming where juvenile fish are released into the ocean to grow naturally without protection or assistance before being harvested.
The project follows the artificial reef initiative under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), aimed at enhancing marine biodiversity.
- Artificial reefs deployed at 42 locations in Thiruvananthapuram have attracted various fish species like tuna, trevally, and mackerel.
Future phases of the project propose expanding artificial reefs to 96 villages in Kerala.
PMMSY was launched by the Department of Fisheries; Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying; to bring about ecologically healthy, economically viable, and socially inclusive development of the fisheries sector of India.