GS Paper 3
Syllabus: Agriculture
Source: TH
Context: The Lok Sabha has passed the Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023, to decriminalize offences related to coastal aquaculture activities, promoting ease of business.
What is Aquaculture?
Aquaculture involves cultivating aquatic organisms such as fish, shellfish, and aquatic plants under controlled conditions. It is a controlled environment where aquatic organisms are bred, reared, and harvested for various purposes, including food production, research, and conservation.
Fisheries refer to the activities related to catching, harvesting, and managing wild fish and other aquatic organisms from natural water bodies such as oceans, rivers, and lakes. Unlike aquaculture, fisheries rely on capturing organisms from their natural habitats rather than cultivating them in controlled environments.
Need for this bill:
The bill introduces amendments to the Coastal Aquaculture Authority (CAA) Act of 2005. The old rules said that some activities related to aquaculture didn’t need special permission. But a recent decision by a National Green Tribunal (in 2022) ruled that the CAA Act of 2005 no longer exempted coastal aquaculture from the CRZ Notifications issued in 2011 and 2019. This ruling highlighted the need for changes to the CAA Act to align with the updated CRZ regulations.
Aim of the Bill: The bill aims to expand the scope of coastal aquaculture while reducing compliance burdens and maintaining environmental protection rules.
Key provisions of the bill:
| Provisions | Explanation |
| Decriminalization of Offences | The bill removes the possibility of jail time for certain offences in coastal aquaculture and replaces it with fines. Instead of jail time, the bill imposes fines of up to ₹1 lakh for certain offences. |
| Expansion of Scope | The bill widens the scope of the Coastal Aquaculture Authority’s activities and reduces regulatory gaps. |
| The Coastal Aquaculture Authority’s procedures will be adjusted to be more responsive to stakeholders’ needs. | |
| Promotion of Environment-friendly Aquaculture | The bill encourages newer forms of eco-friendly aquaculture, like cage culture and seaweed culture. |
| Quality Assurance and Safe Products | The bill promotes safe and high-quality aquaculture products by preventing harmful substances. |
| Disease-free Broodstocks and Seeds | The bill supports the creation of disease-free and improved aquatic life for coastal aquaculture. |
Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying
Government Initiatives Related to Fisheries:
- Matsya Setu
- Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF).
- Blue Revolution
- Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA)
- Kisan Credit Card (KCC)
- Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana
India is the second largest fish-producing country in the world accounting for over 7.5 % of global production. India is the 4th largest exporter of fish in the world.
About CRZ:
Coastal regulation zones are areas along the coastline of India, where development, infrastructure, construction, tourism and other activities are regulated by the government of India.
CRZ notification issued by the central government under the Environment Protection Act, 1986 for regulation of activities in the coastal area. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is the nodal ministry for CRZ regulations.
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