Maiden Seaweed Harvest in Puducherry Emerges as a Major Success under ICAR–CMFRI’s Guidance

Puducherry marked a significant milestone in its coastal livelihood initiatives with the successful maiden harvest of it’s first-ever seaweed farming project. Guided by the ICAR–Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi, the harvest held at Pannithitu on 19 November 2025 recorded an impressive 3.5-fold growth, underscoring the immense potential of seaweed farming as a profitable and sustainable livelihood, particularly for local fisherwomen.

This pathbreaking initiative is part of a one-year project titled “Farming of commercially important marine finfishes in sea cages integrated with seaweeds at Puducherry.” Funded by the Department of Fisheries & Fishermen Welfare, Government of Puducherry, and implemented by the Mandapam Regional Centre of ICAR–CMFRI, the project commenced on 16 April 2025 and will conclude on 15 April 2026.

The seaweed farming component was formally launched on 30 September 2025 at Pannithitu, in an event officiated by Dr. D. Manikandan, IAS, Secretary to the Hon’ble Lt. Governor and Secretary, Department of Fisheries & Fishermen Welfare.

As part of the project, 16 HDPE seaweed rafts integrated with a 6-m diameter HDPE sea cage were deployed across three coastal locations Pannithitu, Karukkalacherry, and Pattinacheri. Given the region’s rougher sea conditions, the HDPE-based tube-net method was adopted. Each 12.5 × 12.5 ft raft was foam-filled and equipped with an innovative central support structure. For anchoring, eight rafts were secured using 13 mm iron chains connected to five anchor stones of 150 kg each.
Every raft carried 10 tube-nets, fabricated from 50 mm mesh-size fishnet material.

Each tube-net (4 × 1 m; 30 cm circumference) was seeded with 3.5 kg of Kappaphycus alvarezii, transported from Karaikal. Six fisherwomen from the Pannithitu Fishermen Cooperative Society, supported by the village Panchayat, undertook the farming operations. They had previously received hands-on training in cage fish culture and seaweed farming at the Mandapam Regional Centre of ICAR–CMFRI.

A Milestone Harvest and Economic Gain

The first harvest after a seven-week culture period yielded 1,920 kg of fresh seaweed, marking a substantial increase of 3.5 times over the seeded biomass. At a market price of ₹20 per kg, the maiden harvest generated a revenue of ₹38,400, validating the economic viability of seaweed farming for coastal communities in Puducherry.

The harvest event was graced by Thiru. K. Lakshminarayanan, Minister of Fisheries, Puducherry, and Thiru. Lakshmikandan, MLA, who interacted with the fisherwomen and appreciated their efforts. Dr. Johnson, Principal Investigator, briefed the dignitaries on the project's progress and outcomes.

The event also saw the participation of Shri A. Mohamad Ismail, Director, Fisheries; Shri K. Deivasigamani, Joint Director, Fisheries; Thiru G. Rajendiran and Smt. N. Shajima, Deputy Directors, Fisheries, along with senior officials and local fisher’s staff of the Madras Regional Station.

The success of this maiden harvest marks a transformative step for Puducherry’s coastal communities, demonstrating that seaweed farming when supported by scientific guidance and community participation can emerge as a sustainable, profitable, and women-inclusive livelihood model for the future.

(Source: ICAR–Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi)