Coastal Aquaculture Authority Launches Nationwide Campaign for 100% Farm Registration

Chennai: The Coastal Aquaculture Authority (CAA) Chennai, under the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying, Government of India, has embarked on a significant initiative – a National Campaign to achieve 100% farm registration across the country. The inaugural awareness campaign was conducted today in Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu.

This campaign is bolstered by recent amendments to the Principal Act on Coastal Aquaculture, allowing the registration of farms on owned land and condoning delayed renewals for farmers facing various challenges. As part of the government’s commitment to ease of doing business, provisions have been included to condone delays by paying twice the applicable registration fee. This move is anticipated to benefit over 35,000 farms nationwide, enabling them to regularize their farm registrations. Brochures in local languages have been circulated to ensure widespread publicity among farmers during the campaign.

Failure to register coastal aquaculture units is considered a violation under Section 13 of the CAA Act, 2005. The primary mandate of the CAA is to safeguard the coastal environment and promote sustainable aquaculture practices. In collaboration with the respective State fisheries departments and the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), the CAA plans to organize similar campaigns in all states.

The mass motivation program is designed to serve as a “Help-line” for farmers, facilitating 100% registration and renewal of coastal aquaculture units. This not only legalizes farms but also contributes to meeting the traceability requirements of farmed produce across the country.

Farmers from various districts of Tamil Nadu actively participated in the program, submitting applications for registration and renewals. Officials from the Department of Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare handed over collected applications to CAA officials. The event witnessed the presence of notable figures, including Shri Chidambaram, President of the Nagapattinam Aquaculture Farmers Association (NAFA), Shri Shivasankar, Secretary of NAFA, Dr. V. Krip, Secretary of CAA, Shri Elamvaluthi, Joint Director (Nagapattinam), Department of Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare, Govt. of Tamil Nadu, Shri. Naresh Vishnu Tambhadu, Deputy Director, MPEDA and NaCSA, as well as officials of CAA, and staff and students of Tamil Nadu Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Fisheries University, Nagapattinam.