Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 04 September 2025
The Department of Fisheries, A&N Administration, in collaboration with NIOT-ACOSTI under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, has launched a 45-day Field Training Programme on Seaweed Cultivation and Processing at the NIOT Campus, Dollygunj, on September 3, 2025. The initiative aims to create sustainable livelihood opportunities for coastal communities, with a special focus on empowering Self-Help Group (SHG) members identified jointly by the Fisheries and Rural Development Departments.
The inaugural session was attended by Ms. Jyoti Kumari, IAS, Secretary (Fisheries), as chief guest, along with Ms. Jagtap Kalyani Rajendra, Director of Fisheries, Dr. Dilip Kumar Jha, Officer-In-Charge, NIOT-ACOSTI, and Dr. K. Gopal, Joint Director (Fisheries).
Addressing the gathering, Ms. Jyoti Kumari highlighted the Department’s consistent efforts to promote seaweed cultivation with NIOT’s technical support through training, workshops, and field studies. She noted that the initiative was the outcome of six months of preparatory work by NIOT and announced plans to advance seaweed cultivation towards processing and commercialization. Stressing the need for scaling up harvests, she said that such efforts would be key to making seaweed processing a viable industry in the Islands.
Director of Fisheries, Ms. Jagtap Kalyani Rajendra, described the programme as a milestone in promoting commercial seaweed cultivation. She lauded the participation of SHG members and students from JNRM and Pondicherry University, while appreciating NIOT’s research and workshops that laid the groundwork for the venture. She encouraged SHG members to make full use of the training, which she said would empower local communities to take up seaweed farming at a larger scale.
Students, SHG members, and officials from the Fisheries and Rural Development Departments participated in the inaugural session.
