What are the benefits of “Seaweed Farming”?

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In Budget 2021, the Finance Minister has proposed to set up a multi-purpose seaweed park in Tamil Nadu. It will be a part of the Seaweed Farming promotion in India.

• What is Seaweed? It is the name given to the many species of marine algae and plants.  These species grow in water bodies such as rivers, seas and oceans. The practice of cultivating and harvesting seaweed is known as Seaweed Farming.
• Seaweed Species in India: The commercially exploited seaweed species in India mainly include Kappaphycus alvarezii, Gracilaria edulis, Gelidiella acerosa, Sargassum spp. and Turbinaria spp.
• Uses of Seaweed Farming:
  • They are rich in vitamins and minerals and are consumed as food in various parts of the world
  • They are used for the production of phytochemicals namely agar, carrageenan, and alginate. These phytochemicals are widely used as gelling, stabilizing, and thickening agents in several industries of food, confectionery, pharmaceutical, etc.
  • Furthermore, they are used for the production of polysaccharides, fertilizer. They are also used in high-value products such as nutraceuticals and cosmeceuticals for use against various lifestyle diseases.

Read about Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana

Modernisation of the fishing harbour 

The Finance Minister has announced modernisation of five fishing harbours.

• Which are those five fishing harbours? Kochi (Kerala), Chennai (Tamil Nadu) Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Paradip (Odisha) and Petuaghat (West Bengal).
• These fishing harbours will be developed as hubs of economic activity by developing inland fishing and fish-landing centres along the banks of rivers and waterways.

 Source: The Hindu