Safeguards and regulations for operation of units for seed production of marine

REGD. No. D. L.-33004/99 The Gazette of India CG-DL-E-02072025-264259 EXTRAORDINARY PART II-Section 3-Sub-section (ii) PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY No. 2837] NEW DELHI, MONDAY, JUNE 30, 2025/ASHADHA 9, 1947 [F. No. j-1903336/2/2024-DOF (E-23648)] NEETU KUMARI PRASAD, Joint Secretary MINISTRY OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING (Department of Fisheries) Notification New Delhi, the 26th June, 2025 S.O. 2904(E). — In pursuance of the section 3 of the Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act, 2005 (24 of 2005), read with clause (k) of rule 3 of the Coastal Aquaculture Authority Rules, 2024, the Central Government hereby notifies the following guidelines for regulating hatcheries and rearing units for seed production and culture of marine and brackishwater ornamental organisms, namely:- 1. Short title and commencement.- (1) These guidelines may be called Hatcheries and Rearing Units for Marine or Brackishwater Ornamental Organisms Guidelines, 2025. (2) They shall come into force from the date of their publication in the Official Gazette. PART I Safeguards and regulations for operation of units for seed production of marine or brackishwater ornamental organisms 1. Application criteria for seed production of marine or brackishwater ornamental organisms.- (1) The hatcheries engaged or intending to be engaged in seed production of marine or brackishwater ornamental organisms having the required biosecurity facilities and in-house quarantine facility as specified by the Coastal Aquaculture Authority shall be eligible to apply for registration under the Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act, 2005 (24 of 2005) (herein after referred as the said Act) and the Coastal Aquaculture Authority Rules, 2024 (herein after referred as the said rules) to produce and sell the marine ornamental organisms. (2) The hatchery operator shall submit an application in the Form II of the said rules to the Authority duly enclosing therewith the required documents as specified in the Schedule II of the said rules and payment of registration fee of rupees ten thousand for registration of hatchery in accordance with the procedure laid down in rule 9 of the said rules. (3) A detailed project report indicating the infrastructure, production capacity, technology support, employment generation, economics of operation, etc., shall be submitted along with the application. (4) Approval of the hatchery for seed production of marine or brackishwater ornamental organisms shall be given by the Authority after due inspection of the hatchery facilities by a team constituted by the Authority for this purpose in accordance with the procedure laid down in rule 11 of the said rules. 2. Marine or brackishwater ornamental organisms.- (1) Seed production and culture of marine or brackishwater ornamental organisms refer to the process of reproducing in captivity, cultivating and rearing upto juvenile stage through the management of environmental conditions, feeding regimes, and other factors for further growth in aquaria or marine or brackishwater environments. (2) The term marine ornamental organisms includes all marine or brackishwater ornamental fishes, shrimps, crabs, cray fishes, echinoderms, molluscs, sea anemones, plants and any other organisms which are permitted by the Central Government for commercial scale breeding and rearing purposes. 3. Sanitary requirement.- (1) Entry to the hatchery shall be restricted to the personnel assigned to work exclusively in the area and a record of personnel entering the facility be maintained by the security personnel. (2) A provision shall be made for disinfection of feet (foot baths containing 50 ppm of Potassium permanganate/ 20 ppm of hypochlorite solution), and hands [bottles containing iodine-PVP (20 ppm and / or 70% alcohol)] to be used upon entering and exiting the unit. (3) All the cleaning chemicals, sanitary chemicals and other inputs materials shall be stored separately with proper labelling outside the production area. (4) Surroundings of the hatchery shall be maintained hygienically throughout the production cycle without any accumulation of waste materials. 4. Water intake.- (1) Each functional unit of the hatchery shall have independent water treatment facility isolated from all other water supply systems and separate recirculation systems may be used for each functional unit of hatchery to reduce water usage and improve biosecurity, especially in high-risk areas. (2) Water for the hatchery shall be filtered and treated to prevent the entry of vectors and pathogens that may be present in the source water by initial filtering through sub-sand well points, sand filters (gravity or pressure), or mesh bag filters, into the first reservoir or settling tank. (3) After primary disinfection by chlorination or ozonation and after settlement, the water shall be filtered again with a finer filter and then disinfected using ultraviolet light or ozone. (4) The water supply system shall include use of activated carbon filters, ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid and temperature and salinity regulation. 5. Water treatment and discharge of wastewater.- (1) The discharged water from the hatchery shall be held temporarily and treated with hypochlorite solution (>20 ppm active chlorine for not less than sixty minutes) prior to discharge. (2) The seawater or brackishwater to be used in the facility shall be delivered into a storage tank where it shall be treated with hypochlorite solution (20 ppm active ingredient for not less than thirty minutes) followed by sodium thiosulphate (1 ppm for every ppm of residual chlorine) or ozonation and strong aeration. (3) No wastewater shall be released out of the hatchery without chlorination and de-chlorination, to prevent the escape of the pathogens or parasites into the natural waters and Effluent Treatment System shall be designed as specified by the Authority. 6. Hatchery infrastructure.- (1) Sections of the hatchery like the broodstock holding tanks, egg incubation units, larval rearing units, mechanical filtration units, UV/Ozone plant, indoor algal culture, rotifer and copepod production, etc. should be physically isolated and shall follow single entry and exit to avoid contamination. (2) The hatchery perimeter shall be secured with fencing to deter entry of animals and unauthorized persons. 7. Disinfection of implements.- (1) Used containers and hoses shall be washed and disinfected with hypochlorite solution (20 ppm) before further use. (2) Each broodstock and larval rearing tanks shall have a separate set of implements which shall be clearly marked and placed near the tanks and disinfection of all the implements shall be done at the end of each day’s use. 8. Broodstock collection.- (1) Sub adults and adult broodstock of marine or brackishwater ornamental organisms may be procured or collected from wild or brood bank to make them mature at hatchery rearing facility and such organisms shall be free from pathogens, injuries or deformities, can be transported in the facility in broodstock bags or tanks with oxygenated water. (2) Collection and exploitation of these marine or brackishwater ornamental organisms for commercial sale shall be discouraged and only parental stock shall be used in a sustainable way for breeding purposes. (3) Collection of such marine or brackishwater ornamental organisms shall be ensured in strict compliance with the provisions of Wild Life Protection Act, 1972 (53 of 1972) (as amended from time to time) without affecting the biodiversity of the existing stock and without using any destructive gears and methods for collection. 9. Broodstock quarantine.- (1) The hatchery or rearing unit operator shall establish a proper and fully bio-secured facility and broodstock collected shall be quarantined and tested for World Organisation for Animal Health listed pathogens and pathogens concern to India in in-house quarantine facility. (2) Quarantine discharge water shall be treated separately before releasing into effluent treatment system. 10. Import of marine ornamental organisms.- Marine or brackishwater ornamental organisms permitted for import by the Central Government shall be maintained in separate in-house quarantine facility by duly following the standard operating procedures or guidelines for imported stock as prescribed by the Government from time to time. 11. Maintenance of marine or brackishwater ornamental organisms.- (1) Marine or brackishwater ornamental organisms shall be shifted from the quarantine facility to maturation or broodstock holding tanks fitted with flow through or Recirculating Aquaculture System. (2) Breeding pairs with desirable traits and good health shall be selected to avoid inbreeding and to maintain genetic diversity. (3) Spawning shall be triggered by simulating natural environmental cues that includes adjusting water temperature, photo period (lighting conditions), or water quality parameters. Some species may require specific triggers, such as a sudden drop in salinity or other environmental parameters and hormones. 12. Feed management.- (1) Live feeds like phyto-planktons and zooplanktons of good quality shall be screened for the presence of pathogens before using in larval rearing section. (2) Functional feeds or nutrients shall be used to enhance their reproduction or propagation. While feeding with live feeds, fresh meat of squid, crab, fish and shrimp, adequate care shall be taken to prevent the entry of diseases causing pathogens and parasites into the hatchery facility. 13. Probiotics and chemical agents.- (1) Coastal Aquaculture Authority approved feed supplements or inputs or additives shall be used as recommended by the fisheries officials or scientists or technical staff. (2) Prohibited pharmacologically active substances and antimicrobial agents as specified in clause (c) of sub-rule (1) of rule 18 of the said rules shall not be used in the hatchery. 14. Packing and transport.- (1) The seed of Marine or brackishwater ornamental organisms shall be transported in bags or containers in oxygenated water. (2) The seed of Marine or brackishwater ornamental organisms shall be acclimatized in the hatchery itself for salinity as per the requirement of the farmer based on the salinity levels in the rearing units. 15. Disease reporting and record maintenance.- (1) Any disease outbreak in the marine or brackishwater ornamental hatchery shall be reported immediately to the Authority. (2) The hatchery operator shall maintain day to day records of the operations and the record shall contain all the activities including broodstock details, spawning details, larval survival, feeding time, live feed or inert feeds used, chemical usage, pathogen test results, water quality reports, record of animal stock, details of seed sales, etc. (3) The hatchery operator shall submit a quarterly compliance report to the Authority in Form K-1 of these guidelines. 16. Inspection.- A person authorised by the Authority shall periodically visit and check the status of the broodstock, seed production and sale. 17. Bank guarantee.- The approved hatcheries shall pay rupees fifty thousand towards monitoring fee and deposit a bank guarantee for rupees fifty thousand in favour of the Coastal Aquaculture Authority in accordance with the said rules, to ensure compliance with these guidelines and in the event of any violation, the bank guarantee shall be invoked. PART II Norms and Regulations for Approval and Operation Rearing Units for marine ornamental organisms 1. Eligibility criteria for rearing units or farms.- (1) The farmers for registration of rearing unit or farm for marine ornamental organisms shall submit an application Form I of the said rules to the Sub-Divisional Level Committee or District Level Committee concerned duly enclosing therewith the required documents as specified in the Schedule II of the said rules and payment of registration fee as specified in the Schedule I of the said rules for registration of rearing units or farms in accordance with the procedure laid down in rule 9 of the said rules. (2) The inspection team authorised by the Authority shall inspect the rearing unit or farm as per the procedure laid down in rule 10 of the said rules and based on its recommendation regarding the suitability of the facility for rearing unit or farm for marine or brackishwater ornamental organisms, applications shall be processed by the Secretary of the Authority, for consideration of the Authority for registering the rearing unit or farm. (3) Rearing unit or farm for marine or brackishwater ornamental organisms shall establish the biosecurity measures such as fencing, reservoir ponds for water treatment, bird-scare, separate implements for each of the ponds etc., and be managed by personnel who are trained or experienced in management of biosecurity measures. 2. Water discharge protocols.- (1) In case of any outbreak of disease, distress harvesting shall only be done through netting and the water shall be chlorinated and dechlorinated before release into drainage system. (2) Wastewater shall be retained in the Effluent Treatment System for a minimum period of two days. (3) Rearing unit or farm for marine or brackishwater ornamental organisms which follow Zero Water Exchange system of farming may also take care of the discharge water treatment. (4) Strict compliance for the waste water standards is a mandatory requirement and the Inspection team authorised by the Coastal Aquaculture Authority shall monitor the quality of waste water or rearing unit drain water as per the procedures laid down in the guidelines for regulating coastal aquaculture. 3. Norms for culture of marine or brackishwater ornamental organisms.- The following norms shall be adopted for culture of marine or brackishwater ornamental organisms, namely:- (1) Species selection: Farming requires a variety of species with the basic characters like, attractive colours, suitability for marketing, market demand, consumer acceptance, easy to culture, adaptability to the varying salinity, acceptance to artificial diets, faster growth rate, resistant to common diseases, etc., (2) Seed selection and stocking: (i) tested and certified seed shall be procured only from the Coastal Aquaculture Authority approved or registered hatcheries. Test reports from authorised Government lab shall be considered; (ii) the seed size of various ornamental organisms may be preferred based on the species reared and stock at appropriate stocking density and avoid over-crowding, completion for living space and food. (3) Acclimatization and stocking of seed: (i) seed brought from the approved hatchery should be acclimatized in tanks or ponds for a shorter period to observe their health condition. If abnormal behaviour or infection symptoms are noticed, such seeds have to be isolated and reared separately; (ii) to avoid the spread of diseases, seed infected with pathogens shall be given proper treatment; (iii) the Coastal Aquaculture Authority certified inputs shall be used for treating the diseases in consultation with the fisheries officials or Indian Council of Agricultural Research scientists; (iv) the standing biomass in the pond will increase due to progresses of culture period and therefore, optimal water quality parameters such as dissolved oxygen, pH, ammonia and nitrite as prescribed in the para 4 of the Guidelines for regulating Coastal aquaculture shall be maintained and have to be monitored regularly. Proper aeration equipment may be used to enhance the Dissolved Oxygen level in the tank or pond and water exchange can be provided if required periodically. (4) Feed Management: (i) functional feeds or nutrients shall be used to enhance their reproduction or propagation. While feeding with live feeds, fresh meat of squid, crab, fish and shrimp, adequate care shall be taken to prevent the entry of diseases causing pathogens and parasites into the hatchery facility; (ii) extruded formulated pellet feed shall be used to reduce organic matters in water; (iii) feed quantity has to be reduced when the ornamental organisms are under stress or during rough weather or during low water temperature; and (iv) the nutritional requirements vary with different variety of species, sizes, growth stages and feeding habits and accordingly quantity of formulated feeds shall be used. (5) Use of fertilisers and other aquaculture inputs: (i) to increase the primary production and to maintain the optimum pH and other water quality parameters such as dissolved oxygen, ammonia and nitrite, biodegradable organic plant extracts and Coastal Aquaculture Authority certified inputs shall be used; (ii) the Coastal Aquaculture Authority approved feed supplements or inputs or additives shall be used as recommended by the fisheries officials or Scientists or technical staff; and (iii) prohibited pharmacologically active substances and antimicrobial agents as prescribed in clause (c) of sub-rule (1) of rule 18 of the said rules shall not be used. (6) Prevention and treatment of fish diseases: (i) regular observation of reared ornamental organisms is required to identify altered behaviour, disease causes and appropriate treatments; (ii) pathogens like bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites are existing in the natural environment and hence, health of the marine ornamental organisms shall have adequate resistance against them; (iii) to prevent and control diseases, maintaining a good farming environment and use of hygienic and nutritious feed to boost immunity may minimise the chance of disease outbreak; and (iv) in case of any disease outbreak, remedial measures shall be taken in consultation with Scientists or qualified technicians. (7) Harvesting: (i) harvesting of organisms by drag nets or cast nets or hand nets or hand picking or any other suitable method which does not cause any damage to the ornamental organisms shall be adopted; and (ii) for marketing the live ornamental organisms, care shall be taken to transport live organisms with proper aeration and water quality arrangements. 4. Maintenance of records at rearing unit or farm.- (1) The farmers shall maintain records of procurement of seed, stocking density, water quality parameters, feeding quantities, health management, growth parameters, inputs used, harvesting and marketing details etc. (2) The farmer shall produce the farm records on demand by the authorised personnel or officials. 5. Penalty for violation shall be in accordance with the said Act and the rules made thereunder. Form K-1 [See paragraph 15 (3)] Format for quarterly compliance report from hatcheries or rearing units of marine or brackishwater ornamental organisms The report shall contain the following information, namely :- 1. Name and Address of the hatchery or rearing unit 2. Date and number of certificate of registration and permission to import 3. Number of sub-adult or broodstock procured or imported, males and females 4. Source of sub-adult or broodstock procured or imported 5. Transport mortality 6. Quarantine mortality 7. Total number of spawning's 8. Total number of eggs produced 9. Total number of fry or seed produced 10. Report on general aquatic health monitoring and any unusual mortality 11. Total number of fry or seed sold 12. Details of the sales of fry or seed to whom marine or brackishwater ornamental organisms sold [F. No. j-1903336/2/2024-DOF (E-23648)] NEETU KUMARI PRASAD, Jt. Secy.