Full Text
REGD. No. D. L.-33004/99
The Gazette of India
CG-DL-E-02092025-265873
EXTRAORDINARY
PART II-Section 3-Sub-section (ii)
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY
No. 3878]
NEW DELHI, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2025/BHADRA 10, 1947
MINISTRY OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING
(Department of Fisheries)
NOTIFICATION
New Delhi, the 29th August, 2025
S.O. 3983(E). In pursuance of section 3 of the Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act, 2005 (24 of 2005), read with clause (o) of rule 3 of the Coastal Aquaculture Authority Rules, 2024 (hereinafter referred to as the said rules), the Central Government hereby notifies the following guidelines for regulating Bio-floc, Re-circulatory Aquaculture Systems and Nursery based Aqua Farming Systems, namely:-
1. Short title and commencement.- (1) These guidelines may be called the Bio-floc, Re-circulatory Aquaculture Systems and Nursery based Aqua Farming Systems Guidelines, 2025.
(2) They shall come into force from the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
2. Application criteria for Bio-floc, Re-circulatory Aquaculture System and Nursery based Aqua Farming Systems.- (1) Any person desirous of establishing or operating any unit of Bio-floc or Re-circulatory Aquaculture System or Nursery based Aqua Farming Systems having the required biosecurity facilities as specified by the Coastal Aquaculture Authority shall be eligible to apply for registration under the Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act, 2005 (24 of 2005) hereinafter referred as the said Act, and in the said rules.
(2) The unit operator shall submit application in Form I to the Sub-Divisional Level Committee or the District Level Committee concerned along with the documents as specified in Schedule II and payment of registration fee as specified in Schedule I of the said rules in accordance with the procedure laid down in rule 9 of the said rules.
(3) A project report indicating the infrastructure, bio-security measures, production capacity, technology support, employment generation, economics of operation, etc., shall be submitted along with the application.
(4) The inspection team authorised by the Authority shall inspect the unit as per the procedure laid down in rule 10 of the said rules and based on its recommendation regarding the suitability of the facility, applications shall be processed by the Secretary of the Authority, for registering the units.
(5) Units shall have biosecurity measures including 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 units.
3. Site selection.- (1) Site shall be near to the water source and sufficiently elevated to have complete drain during water exchange and harvesting.
(2) Generally clayey loam soils are preferred to avoid high-water percolation through the sandy soils and consequential environmental damage.
(3) For bio-floc and nursery based aqua systems, site with sandy or loamy soil may be used for construction of lined pond.
(4) In the case of sandy soil, the pond shall be lined with proper material such as polyethylene sheet, canvas, etc., for water holding capacity.
(5) Where the site is moderately elevated, the choice of farming system shall be an elevated tank system, which need more capital investment.
(6) The quality of soil shall be ascertained for soil pH, permeability, bearing capacity and heavy metal content for earthen nursery based systems and soil with pH below 5, acid sulphate soils and soils with high concentrations of heavy metals shall be avoided.
(7) A minimum water depth of 100 centimeter shall be maintained for bio-floc and nursery based farming systems.
4. Pond or tank design considerations.- (1) Natural based soil shall be avoided in Biofloc or Recirculatory Aquaculture System based aqua farming system.
(2) Circular tank or pond with central drain and sufficient slope shall be preferred for intensive farming with high stocking density of standing biomass over 1 kg/cubic meter.
(3) High-density polyethylene tanks or lined ponds may be used, depending on the available capital investment.
(4) Earthen ponds and tanks built over the land with steel frame and plastic sheets may be opted for more cost effective and less initial capital investments.
(5) The pond size of each Biofloc or Recirculatory Aquaculture System unit shall not exceed 2000 m² (0.2 ha).
5. Water quality management.- (1) Regular monitoring of water quality parameters, including temperature, pH, alkalinity, salinity, dissolved oxygen, ammonia, nitrite, etc., shall be specified in paragraph 4 of the Guidelines for regulating coastal aquaculture to support the production system.
(2) The water used in the units may be treated or filtered with appropriate filtration system such as using sand filters, cartridge filters, Ultraviolet filters, etc.
6. Water discharge protocols.- (1) In case of any outbreak of disease, 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) Units shall be promoted with zero or minimal water exchange system so as to regulate the contamination.
7. Culture conditions.- (1) Nutrient levels within the desired range shall be maintained to avoid overgrowth of harmful microorganisms as specified by the Central Government.
(2) Appropriate light sources and photoperiods as specified by the Central Government may be provided to promote the growth of microalgae or other live feeds or heterotrophic bacteria, depending on the following parameters and optimal level of the culture system:
Table
+-----------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Parameter | Optimal level |
+-----------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Temperature | 28 - 30°C |
| pH | 7.5 - 8.4 |
| Suspended Solids | 100 - 300 ppm |
| Settleable Solids And Volatiles | 5 - 20 mL/L (shrimp); |
| | 15 - 50 mL/L for tilapia |
| Dissolve Oxygen | 5 - 8 ppm |
| Alkalinity | 100 - 150 ppm as CaCO3 |
| Turbidity | 75 - 150 NTU |
| TAN | <2ppm |
| Nitrite-Nitrogen | 1 ppm |
| Nitrate--Nitrogen | <10 ppm |
+-----------------------------+-----------------------------------+
Note 1: For microbial floc based (brown) biofloc, Use of shade net (60 to 80% light penetration) or indoor facility.
Note 2: For algal based green biofloc system, natural photoperiodicity can be maintained.
(3) Appropriate stocking density of live feeds to prevent overcrowding (especially polychaete worms), which can lead to competition for nutrients and lower growth rates as specified by the Central Government shall be followed.
(4) Aeration systems.- In Recirculatory Aquaculture System or Nursery system, minimum Dissolved Oxygen level of 5ppm shall be maintained for the culture of aquatic organisms, such as shrimp or fish;
(5) In Biofloc technology, (a) microbial flocs, which are aerobic dense aggregates of bacteria, algae, and other microorganisms that help to maintain water quality by consuming organic matter shall be used and the aeration requirements may vary based on factors such as the stocking density, water temperature, and the specific needs of the cultured species. (b) diffused aeration, venturi jet type aeration and paddlewheel aerators shall be provided to ensure minimum Dissolved Oxygen level of 5 ppm.
(6) The following stocking density shall be maintained for Biofloc or Recirculatory Aquaculture System for shrimp culture, namely:-
(a) In the case of nursery.-
(i) Conventional pond based nursery – not exceeding 500 PL/ m²;
(ii) Circular lined ponds with central drain – not exceeding 2000 PL/ m²;
(iii) Circular tanks and raceways with provisions for solid disposal - not exceeding 4000 PL/ m²;
(b) In the case of grow-out:
(i) Conventional pond-based systems - not exceeding 60 nos/m² ;
(ii) Non circular Lined Pond based systems with central drain - not exceeding 100 nos / m²;
(iii) Circular lined ponds with central drain - not exceeding 200 nos/m²;
(iv) Circular tanks and raceways with provisions for solid disposal: not exceeding 300 nos/ m²;
(c) in case of fish culture, in nursery and grow-out ponds with biofloc or Recirculatory Aquaculture System, the stocking density shall be based on the type or size or habitat of the candidate species;
(d) In case of crab, the megalopae or crab instars shall be reared in nursery at 50 nos./m² for a period of 45 to 60 days, and crab juveniles shall be reared in grow out pond or pen culture not exceeding 5,000 nos. per ha.
(7) Carbon to Nitrogen Ratio for biofloc system shall be as follows, namely:-
(a) healthy biofloc bacteria shall be maintained with suitable Carbon to Nitrogen Ratio of not exceeding 15:1;
(b) carbon (C) is typically supplied through organic carbon sources, such as molasses, wheat bran, rice bran or flour, millet flour or other carbohydrate-rich substances;
(c) the optimal Carbon to Nitrogen Ratio varies depending on the specifics of the aquaculture system, species being cultured, and environmental conditions.
(8) Prohibited pharmacologically active substances and antimicrobial agents as prescribed in sub-rule 1(c) of rule 18 of the Coastal Aquaculture Authority Rules, 2024 shall not be used in the production system.
8. Feed management.- (1) Feeds with an 24 to 40% of protein content shall be selected for the species being cultured.
(2) Supplemental feed additives that promote the growth of beneficial microorganisms shall be used.
(3) Regular monitoring and adjustments shall be made for maintaining a stable and productive biofloc system.
(4) In order to maintain a balance between carbon and nitrogen, feeds with lower protein content compared to traditional aquaculture systems shall be used.
(5) Where the feed is low in protein, the feed shall be balanced and complete in nutrient profile.
(6) The feed ration and feeding frequency shall be adjusted and monitored closely.
(7) Overfeeding shall be prohibited.
(8) Consulting with experts in biofloc Recirculatory Aquaculture System or Nursery management shall be mandatory to obtain the technical guidance for specific aquaculture setup.
9. Health monitoring.- (1) Regular monitoring of the cultured species shall be done to check abnormal symptoms if any, diagnose to find cause and take corrective action in consultation with the fisheries health experts in Government Institutes and keep the record.
(2) Dedicated technical persons shall be engaged to handle the production system.
10. Harvesting techniques.- (1) Gentle harvesting methods shall be used to avoid damaging or stressing to the cultured species.
(2) Harvesting shall be done through the central drainage system or drag netting or complete draining.
11. Maintenance of farm management records.- (1) Unit operators shall maintain records on stocking density, water quality parameters, feeding quantities, health management, growth parameters, inputs used, harvesting and marketing details etc.
(2) Unit operator shall produce the records on demand by the authorised personnel or officials.
12. The contravention of any provisions of these Guidelines shall attract the penalty specified in Section 14 of the Act.
[F. No. J-1903336/2/2024-DOF (E-23648)]
NEETU KUMARI PRASAD, Jt. Secy.
Uploaded by Dte. of Printing at Government of India Press, Ring Road, Mayapuri, New Delhi-110064
and Published by the Controller of Publications, Delhi-110054. GORAKHA NATH
YADAVA
Digitally signed by GORAKHA
NATH YADAVA
Date: 2025.09.02 12:29:52 +05'30'