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REGD. No. D. L.-33004/99
The Gazette of India
CG-DL-E-02092025-265875
EXTRAORDINARY
PART II-Section 3-Sub-section (ii)
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY
No. 3877]
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. 3982(E). In pursuance of the provisions of section 3 of the Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act, 2005
(24 of 2005), read with clause (n) of rule 3 of the Coastal Aquaculture Authority Rules, 2024 (hereinafter referred to
the said rules), the Central Government hereby make the following guidelines for regulating live feed culture units
and management in coastal aquaculture, namely:-
1. Short title and commencement.- (1) These guidelines may be called the Guidelines for Live Feed Culture
Units and Management in Coastal Aquaculture, 2025.
(2) They shall come into force from the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
2. Application criteria for live feed units.- (1) Live feed units engaged or intending to be engaged in the
production of live feed having the required biosecurity facilities and in-house quarantine facility as specified
under paragraph 10 of these Guidelines, shall be eligible to apply for registration in accordance to the
provisions of the Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act, 2005 (24 of 2005) (hereinafter referred as the said Act)
and the rules made thereunder, to produce and sell live feed for coastal aquaculture units.
(2) The unit operator shall submit an application in the prescribed Form II of the said rules, to the Authority,
duly enclosing the required documents as specified in Schedule II of the said rules, and payment of a
registration fee of rupees ten thousand for registration of live feed unit in accordance with the procedure
prescribed in rule 9 of the said rules.
(3) A detailed project report indicating the infrastructure, bio-security measures, production capacity,
technology support, employment generation, the economics of operation, etc., shall be submitted along with
the application.
(4) Approval of the unit for live feed production shall be given by the Authority after due inspection of the
unit by a team constituted by the Authority for this purpose in accordance with the procedure laid down in rule
11 of the said rules.
3. Selection of suitable live feeds.- (1) Phytoplankton (different species of microalgae), zooplankton (rotifers,
Artemia, copepods, amphipods) and polychaete worms may be considered as live feeds.
(2) Identification of species shall be done scientifically morphologically and molecular tools using standard
procedure and the record of the same shall be kept properly.
(3) Live feeds that match the size and nutritional requirements of the candidate species shall be chosen for its
different life stages.
4. Site selection.- (1) The live feed units are to be preferably located near the hatcheries or farming sites and they
shall be isolated from the other production facilities in view of bio-security reasons.
(2) Where the live feed units are located in separate locations, care shall be taken to avoid entry of pathogens
and cross contamination.
(3) There shall be adequate quality water and parameters shall be maintained in accordance with paragraph 4
of the Guidelines for Regulating Coastal Aquaculture notified vide S.O. 1496(E), dated the 20th March, 2024.
5. Requirements for live feed culture units.- (1) Culture tanks or containers or carboys or flasks made of Fibre
Reinforced Plastic cement or Reinforced Cement Concrete or glass or plastic or High-Density Polyethylene or
Polyethylene or Polyvinyl Chloride shall be used for the live feed culture.
(2) Indoor, intermediate and outdoor culture units for microalgae shall be made.
(3) The stock culture room for live feeds for maintaining pure stocks shall be made.
(4) Separate culture units to avoid cross-contamination (such as microalgae and rotifers) shall be made.
(5) Proper aeration, temperature control, and lighting conditions to optimize the growth of live feed shall be
made.
6. Water quality management.- (1) Regular monitoring of water quality parameters, including temperature, pH,
salinity, and dissolved oxygen for optimal levels in accordance with paragraph 4 of the Guidelines for
regulating coastal aquaculture to support live feed growth shall be ensured.
(2) The water used for the live feed culture shall be treated or filtered properly using sand filters, cartridge
filters and Ultraviolet filters.
(3) The filtered water shall be sterilized, ozonized, and de-ozonized for indoor or stock cultures.
7. Water discharge protocols for live feed units.- (1) In case of any crashed cultures from outdoor units or
outbreak of diseases, the culture water shall be chlorinated and dechlorinated before release into the drainage
system.
(2) The units shall not discharge wastewater directly to open water bodies.
(3) Wastewater shall be retained in the effluent treatment system for a minimum period of two days.
8. Culture conditions.- (1) Nutrients to support the growth of live feeds (especially microalgae) typically
through the addition of nutrient media in consultation with the Fisheries officials or Scientists of
ICAR/CSIR/Government Institutes shall be ensured.
(2) Nutrient levels as recommended by the Fisheries officials or Scientists of Indian Council of Agricultural
Research or Council of Scientific and Industrial Research or Government Institutes shall be maintained to
avoid overgrowth of harmful microorganisms.
(3) Appropriate light sources and photoperiods as recommended by the Fisheries officials or Scientists of
Indian Council of Agricultural Research or Council of Scientific and Industrial Research or Government
Institutes shall be arranged to promote the growth of microalgae or other live feeds in the culture system.
(4) Light intensity and duration based on the specific requirements of the microalgae species as recommended
by the Fisheries officials or Scientists of Indian Council of Agricultural Research or Council of Scientific and
Industrial Research or Government Institutes shall be maintained.
(5) Appropriate stocking density of live feeds as recommended by the Fisheries officials or Scientists of Indian
Council of Agricultural Research or Council of Scientific and Industrial Research or Government Institutes to
prevent overcrowding (especially polychaete worms not exceeding 0.5 kg/m²) shall be maintained.
(6) Prohibited pharmacologically active substances and antimicrobial agents as prescribed under sub-rule (1)
(c) of rule 18 of the said rules shall not be used in the production system.
9. Health monitoring.- (1) Regular monitoring of health parameters and density for the live feed culture as
recommended by the Fisheries officials or Scientists of Indian Council of Agricultural Research or Council of
Scientific and Industrial Research or Government Institutes, shall be done to regulate the contamination or
overgrowth of unwanted organisms.
(2) Microscopic examinations shall be done to assess the quality and size of the live feeds.
(3) Dedicated technical persons shall be engaged to handle the live feed unit.
10. In-house quarantine facility.- (1) Vehicle shall pass through tyre bath at the hatchery or live feed unit
premises before reaching the receiving point.
(2) The entire consignment shall be unloaded at the in-house quarantine facility.
(3) All the personnel involved in unloading must disinfect their hands, apron, coat and shoes before and after
unloading.
(4) The quarantine section shall have sufficient space for the maintenance of cultured live feed.
(5) The species contaminated with pathogens shall not be used for culture.
(6) The isolates of live feeds or wild collected samples (eg. Microalgae, rotifers, copepods, amphipods and
polychaete worms) shall be screened for pathogens as listed by World Organization for Animal Health and
pathogens of concern to India in the in-house quarantine facility.
(7) As specific pathogen free polychaete is recommended to avoid infections in the cultures, the polychaete
used in the aquaculture as live feed shall be free from all world organization for animal health listed pathogens
and pathogens of concern to India.
(8) The sample shall be referred to aquatic quarantine facility laboratory at Neelankarai or Indian Council of
Agricultural Research – Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture laboratory or any other accredited
laboratory for testing of relevant pathogens of concern to India.
(9) In the event of detection of any relevant pathogen, the sample shall be sent to Indian Council of
Agricultural Research – Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture as a referral lab for validation or
confirmation.
(10) In case of confirmation, the unit operator shall destroy the infected stock and incinerate for containment
of the spread of the infection under intimation to the Authority.
11. Quality control and biosecurity.- (1) The quality of the live feeds by regularly testing for their nutritional
content shall be ensured based on the requirement culture conditions.
(2) Live feeds shall be stored properly to maintain their quality between harvests.
(3) Biosecurity for the live feed culture system shall be implemented in consultation with the Fisheries
officials or Scientists of Indian Council of Agricultural Research or Council of Scientific and Industrial
Research or Government Institutes.
12. Harvesting Techniques.- (1) Gentle harvesting methods shall be used to avoid damaging or stressing the live
feeds.
(2) Live feeds shall be harvested at the appropriate stage of development to ensure they are nutritionally
suitable for the candidate species of different life stages.
(3) Live feed produce shall be sold to the Coastal Aquaculture Authority registered hatcheries or units and the
Government approved units only.
13. Maintenance of records.- (1) Unit operators shall maintain records on procurement or import of live feed,
stocking density, water quality parameters, feeding quantities, health management, growth parameters, inputs
used, harvesting and marketing details etc., and report these in their quarterly compliance report to be
submitted to the Authority in Form N-1 of these Guidelines.
(2) Unit operator shall produce the records on demand by the authorised personnel or officials.
14. Penalty for violation.- If any unauthorised live feed production or any other practice is noticed during the
inspection of the units by the inspection team of the Authority, the inspection team may confiscate, dispose of
or destroy the stock including imposing penalties as prescribed under section 14 of the said Act, as it thinks fit.
Form N-1
[See Paragraph 13(1)]
Format for quarterly compliance report from live feed units
The report shall contain the following information, namely:-
1. Name and Address of the unit
2. Date and number of certificate of registration and permission to import
3. Source of pure/stock culture procured/imported
4. Quantity of pure/stock culture procured/imported (ml/lt/kg/gm/mt)
5. Transport mortality (%)
6. Quarantine mortality (%)
7. Total number of cycles/batches
8. Total quantity of pure/stock culture produced (ml/lt/kg/gm/mt)
9. Report on general aquatic health monitoring and any unusual mortality/under production
10. Total quantity of pure/stock culture sold (ml/lt/kg/gm/mt)
11. Details of the live feed sales (shall include information on the name, address, registration number to whom
sold) (copy of the registration certificate of hatcheries/units issued by Coastal Aquaculture Authority/Govt. shall
be enclosed)
Place:
Date:
Signature
Name of the authorised signatory
[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.
Digitally signed by GORAKHA NAΤΗ
Date: 2025.09.02 12:26:12+05'30'
GORAKHA NATH YADAVA YADAVA