3.5X growth in first-ever seaweed farming in Puducherry
The first-ever seaweed farming initiative in Puducherry Union Territory under the guidance of the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has yielded a remarkable achievement. The maiden harvest held at Pannithitu has turned into a huge success with a significant 3.5 times growth.
The successful harvest demonstrates the immense potential of seaweed farming as a viable and profitable venture for local fisher communities in Puducherry, especially for fisherwomen.
This pioneering effort 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 and Fishermen Welfare, Puducherry, and executed by Mandapam Regional Centre of CMFRI. The project commenced on April 16, 2025, and is set to run until April 15, 2026.
HDPE-based tech
Seaweed farming was formally launched on September 30. The project deployed a total of 16 HDPE seaweed rafts integrated with one 6-meter diameter HDPE sea cage across three locations in the Union Territory: Pannithitu, Karukkalacherry, and Pattinacheri.
The technique used for the Puducherry coast was the HDPE-based tube-net method, which is suitable for rough sea conditions. A total of 16 HDPE rafts (12.5 × 12.5 ft) were deployed. A total of six fisherwomen from the Pannithitu Fishermen Cooperative society with the support of village Panchayat carried out the farming activities. These beneficiaries were trained on cage-fish culture and seaweed farming at the Mandapam Regional Centre of CMFRI.
The maiden harvest, a culmination of the seven-week culture period took place achieved a notable 3.5 times growth, translating to a total harvested biomass of 1,920 kg of fresh seaweed. With a sale price of ₹20 per kg of fresh weight, the total revenue generated amounted to ₹38,400.
The harvest was witnessed by key dignitaries, including the Minister of Fisheries, Puducherry, K. Lakshminarayanan, and Lakshmikandan, MLA. They interacted with the fisherwomen involved. Johnson, Principal Investigator explained in detail to them about the progress of the project.
Published on December 4, 2025
