Sea Ranching Initiatives Launched off Vizhinjam Coast as Part of Kerala’s Artificial Reef Project

Sea Ranching Initiatives Launched off Vizhinjam Coast as Part of Kerala’s Artificial Reef Project

Sub : Geo

Sec: Oceanography

Why in News

• The Kerala Fisheries Department has initiated a sea ranching project along the Vizhinjam coast, releasing 20,000 pompano fingerlings as part of efforts to restore marine fisheries. This project is a follow-up to the recently established artificial reef initiative aimed at boosting sustainable fishing practices in the region.

About Sea Ranching:

• Recently, 20,000 pompano (Trachinotus blochii) fingerlings were deposited in the sea, 1.5 nautical miles off the Vizhinjam coast.
• The current phase involves releasing 1 million fingerlings, including pompano and cobia (Motha), across 10 designated locations off Thiruvananthapuram.
• Sea Ranching is a method of marine aquaculture that involves the release of juvenile fish or other marine organisms, raised in controlled environments, into the ocean or other natural water bodies.
• Sea ranching aims to replenish depleted marine fish populations, helping to restore the ecological balance and increase the availability of commercially valuable species.
• By releasing young fish into the wild, sea ranching supports sustainable fishing practices, as it reduces pressure on wild fish stocks and allows time for natural populations to recover.
• Often, sea ranching is combined with habitat restoration efforts, such as the creation of artificial reefs, to provide shelter, breeding grounds, and feeding areas for the released fish.
• Species suitable for sea ranching include commercially important fish like pompano, cobia, salmon, and shellfish like clams or scallops.
• Unlike traditional aquaculture, where fish are grown to market size in controlled environments (e.g., fish farms), sea ranching involves releasing juveniles into the wild.

About Artificial reefs:

• Artificial reefs are engineering technology interventions used to rehabilitate and/or improve natural habitats, increase productivity and manage aquatic resources including habitat enhancement (FAO, 2015).
• Similar to natural reefs, ARs are used for aggregating fish and provide a home for fish to live and grow, reduce wave damage on coasts, help regeneration of marine ecosystems and act as a carbon sink. As per CMFRI, two to three-fold increase in catch rates and efficiency can be realized. Thus, saving fuel and energy costs leading to increased income.
• Provides firm substrate for marine life such as corals, algae and plankton to attach to and grow. They provide favourable conditions for sea ranching and serve as spawning and nursery grounds for fish.
• Enhance recreational fisheries,snorkelling,eco-tourism, creating suitable areas for diving and reducing conflicts.
• Artificial reef structures restrict bottom trawling in the near shore areas thus helping the marine environment to regenerate and small-scale fishers get higher catch.

About Pompano (Trachinotus carolinus):

• Found in warm, shallow waters, typically along sandy beaches and estuarine areas.
• Range extends from the Atlantic coast of the U.S. (Massachusetts to Brazil) and throughout the Gulf of Mexico, with high abundance in Florida waters​.
• Prefers environments with high salinity and warmer temperatures, migrating north in summer and south in winter​
• Pompano are bottom feeders, consuming zoobenthos, small clams, and crustaceans, playing a role in the food web by controlling benthic invertebrate populations​.As a schooling species, they contribute to nutrient cycling in coastal ecosystems through their feeding habits.
• Highly valued for recreational fishing and considered a delicacy in high-end restaurants.
• Gaining attention in aquaculture due to fast growth rates, high market value, and tolerance to low-salinity waters, making them a favourable choice for sustainable marine farming​.

About Cobia (Rachycentron canadum):

• Found in tropical and subtropical waters worldwide, especially in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans.
• Typically inhabits coastal areas, bays, and estuaries but also ventures offshore, often near reefs, shipwrecks, and buoys.
• Cobia are predatory fish, feeding on crabs, squid, and smaller fish, which helps maintain the balance in marine ecosystems by controlling prey populations.
• Known to follow larger marine animals, like sharks and rays, to scavenge for food, contributing to nutrient redistribution.
• Popular in recreational and commercial fisheries due to their size, taste, and fight when caught.
• Widely farmed in aquaculture for their fast growth and ability to adapt to captivity, making them a reliable source of protein.

About Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY):

• The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India is implementing PMMSY.
• It aims to bring about the Blue Revolution through sustainable and responsible development of the fisheries sector in India at an estimated investment of Rs. 20050 crores for holistic development of the fisheries sector including welfare of fishers.
• Implemented in all the States and Union Territories for a period of 5 years from FY 2020-21 to FY 2024-25.
• PMMSY is designed to address critical gaps in the fisheries value chain from fish production, productivity and quality to technology, post-harvest infrastructure and marketing.
• It aims to modernize and strengthen the value chain, enhance traceability and establish a robust fisheries management framework while simultaneously ensuring the socio-economic welfare of fishers and fish farmers.