Centre eyes developing sustainable seaweed economy: Fisheries Secretary
The Hindu
CMFRI asked to set up seed bank to popularise practice along country’s coastal region
The Union government is looking to develop a sustainable economy through seaweed cultivation, Fisheries Secretary Jatindra Nath Swain has said. As climate change was posing a major threat to human life, cultivating seaweed would help boost the economy and reduce the impact of climate crisis, he added.
He was speaking at an interactive meeting with scientists of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) held at its headquarters in Kochi. As an additional livelihood option, seaweed farming would play a major role in the socio-economic upliftment of traditional fishermen during such difficult times, he said.
A CMFRI communication said the Union government official asked the research institute to set up a seed bank for seaweeds to popularise the practice along the country’s coastal region.
In 2011, the Karnataka government announced that five botanical gardens will be developed on the lines of the Lalbagh Botanical Garden in Bengaluru across the State. But according to the latest developments, there will only be four such gardens as the Horticulture Department is most likely to drop the project that was supposed to come up in Chikkaballapura district.