Full Text
2067 GI/202 4 (1)
EXTRAORDINARY
PART II —Section 3 —Sub-section ( ii)
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY
No. 1389] NEW DELHI, SATURDAY , MARCH 1 6, 2024 /PHALGUNA 26, 1945
CG-DL-E-18032024-253198
7-8 1.5–2.5% > 5% 50–75mg/100
1.0 तापमान (oC) 28 – 33
3.0 पीएच 7.5 - 8.5
1 पीएच 6.0–9.0 6.0–9.0
[फ.सं. िे -1903336/2/2024 - डीओएफ (ई-23648)]
MINISTRY OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING
(Department of Fisheries )
NOTIFICATION
New Delhi, the 15th March , 2024
S.O. 1 455(E).—In pursuance of section 3 of the C oastal Aquaculture Authority Act, 2005 (24 of 2005), read
with clause (a) of rule 3 of the Coastal Aquaculture Authority Rules, 2024, the Central Government hereby notifies the
following guidelines, namely: -
1. Short title and commencement . – (1) These gu idelines may be called the Guidelines for Regulating the Coastal
Aquaculture.
(2) They shall come into force from the date of their publication in the Official Gazette .
Guidelines for Regulating Coastal Aquaculture
1. Application. – These guidelines are appl icable to the following, namely: -
(a) ensure orderly and sustainable development of aquaculture in the country;
(b) lead to environmentally responsible and socially acceptable coastal aquaculture and also enhance the
positive contributions that coastal aquaculture can make to socio -economic benefits, livelihood security
and poverty alleviation in the coastal areas;
(c) cover the entire gamut of farm management and measures to reduce the environmental impact arises
through effluent discharges from coastal aquaculture fa rm, treatment of such effluents and mitigation of
the adverse impact of such effluents on the environment as well as resolution of social conflicts, which
could lead to sustainable development of coastal aquaculture;
(d) assist the farmers in adopting good man agement practices;
(e) guide all stakeholders involved, including coastal aquaculture farmers, the coastal community, State
Fisheries Departments, Pollution Control Boards and the Ministries and Departments of the
Governments of India and the States.
2. Sit e selection . - (1) Site selection is an important process in aquaculture as this can often decide the success or
failure of the coastal aquaculture activity, small or large.
(2) Besides technological (biological, physical and chemical) aspects of aquacul ture, the environmental and
socio -economic aspects covering social, economic and legal issues are important parameters to be
considered while finalizing the site for setting up farm.
(3) There shall be no aquaculture activities including Nucleus Breeding Centers or the Broodstock
Multiplication Centers within a radius of 1000 meters (one kilometer) from the site selected for the
establishment of the farm.
(4) The following guidelines on site selection are to ensure that coastal aquaculture farm are harmon iously
integrated into the local environment and social settings.
(5) Generally clayey loam soils are preferred and high capital and operational cost shall be involved in
maintaining farm in sandy area, which is also to be avoided owing to the high water percolation through
the sandy soils and its possible environmental damage.
(6) The quality of soil shall be ascertained for soil pH, permeability, bearing capacity and heavy metal
content. Soil with low pH of below 5 (example acid sulphate soils) shall be avoided. Similarly, soils with
high concentrations of heavy metals also shall be avoided.
(7) The suitable soil characteristics ideal for construction of a coastal aquaculture farm are as follows:
pH Organic carbon Calcium
carbonate Available nitrogen Available
phosphorus Electrical
conductivity
7-8 1.5–2.5% > 5% 50–75mg/100g soil 4–6mg/100gsoil >4 dS/m
(8) The hydro -meteorological data of the proposed area is very important to develop the design of the farm
and to ensure the availability of acceptabl e water quality in the farm.
(9) Construction of coastal aquaculture farm in cyclone prone places where natural calamities such as floods
occur shall be avoided.
(10) The infrastructure facilities like roads, electricity, proximity to hatcheries, feed m anufacturing units/
feed retailers, ice plants, processing plants shall be considered while choosing the site for farm since
these play an important role in the economics of aqua culture operations.
(11) The following, which are mandatory, shall be adopted for site selection and also to avoid subsequent
social and environmental impacts; -
(i) mangroves, agricultural lands, ecologically sensitive areas like sanctuaries, marine parks, etc,
shall not be used for coastal aquaculture;
(ii) coastal aquaculture farm shall be located at least 100 m away from any human settlement in a
village or hamlet of less than 500 population and beyond 300 m from any village or hamlet of
over 500 population. For major towns and heritage areas it shall be around 2km;
(iii) all coastal aquaculture farms shall maintain 100 m distance from the nearest drinking water
sources;
(iv) the coastal aquaculture farm shall not be located across natural drainage canals/flood drain;
(v) while using common property resources like creeks, canals, sea, etc, care shall be t aken that the
farming activity does not interfere with any other traditional activity such as fishing etc;
(vi) spacing of at least 3 m distance shall be maintained between adjacent coastal aquaculture farm for
maintaining biosecurity and public access to the f ish landing centers and other common facilities
shall not be affected;
(vii) larger coastal aquaculture farm shall be set up in clusters with free access provided in between
clusters;
(viii) a minimum distance of 50 – 100 meters shall be maintained between the nearest agricultural
land (depending upon the soil condition), canal or any other water discharge/ drainage source
and the coastal aquaculture farm;
(ix) for larger coastal aquaculture farm of above 2.0 ha, the water spread area shall not exceed 60
percent of the tota l area of the farm and the rest 40 percent may be used appropriately for other
purposes and plantation may be done wherever possible;
(x) in case of smaller coastal aquaculture farm upto 2.0 ha, the water spread area shall not exceed
80 percent of the total ar ea of the farm, the rest 20 percent may be used appropriately for other
purposes and plantation may be done wherever possible to enhance the green cover.
3. Construction and preparation of coastal aquaculture farm. - (1) Proper designing and construction of farm is
essential for their efficient management and for promoting environmental protection.
(2) Good site selection and incorporation of mitigatory features in the farm design are the best ways to avoid
problems related to flood levels, storms, erosion, seepage, water intake and discharge points.
(3) A site -specific approach to design and construction of coastal aquaculture farm is necessary, as site
characteristics vary greatly from place to place.
(4) The following checklist shall be considered while designing and constructing coastal aquaculture farm:
Check list for farm design and construction
(a) embankments shall be designed to prevent flooding and erosion, after taking into
consideration the tidal amplitude, water current, wind direction, wave action and the past
histories of flooding in the area during cyclones/storms;
(b) in soils, which are seepage prone, design shall include provision for trench around the farm
to reduce saline water intrusion into the neighboring lands;
(c) the elevation of the pond bott om, drainage canal and the outlet shall be designed in such a
way that the water in the farm can be drained fully and easily through gravity;
(d) ponds shall have separate intake and outlet structures to permit control of filling and
draining;
(e) a minimum water depth of 80 -100 cm shall be maintained in the ponds;
(f) inlet and discharge canals shall be separate so that water supply and waste water are not
mixed and in areas where such a provision cannot be made, it is advisable that waste
treatment pond shall be incl uded in the design;
(g) the farm design shall not alter natural water flows, or impound floodwater;
(h) the sluice gates shall be water tight and provided with net filters;
(i) where possible, vegetative buffer zones, riparian vegetation and habitat corridors shall be
maintained and vegetative cover provided on exposed earthwork;
(j) pump intakes shall be screened, vegetative buffers provided around pump stations, and
containments installed to prevent fuel spills.
(5) Construction of Intake Reservoirs and Effluent Treatme nt Ponds for the areas where the source water
is turbid with suspended particles, an intake reservoir for settling the silt is very essential.
(6) Similarly, in areas where there is overcrowding of coastal aquaculture farms and the intake and outfall
are from the same source ( i.e. creek, estuary, backwater) the intake reservoir with provision for
treatment of water is essential.
(7) In areas where the tidal current is swift and tidal amplitude is high, the waste water from the farm can
be directly let o ut during the low tide. But in areas where the tidal current is very low, it is essential
that the waste water be treated in an Effluent Treatment Pond before it is released in to the natural
system.
(8) An Effluent Treatment Pond , as a reservoir for hol ding and regenerating waste water, is mandatory for
coastal aquaculture farm larger than 5ha and a minimum of 10 percent of the total farm area shall be
reserved for this purpose.
(9) It is also necessary that smaller coastal aquaculture farm that are loc ated in close proximity to each
other (farm cluster) and connected by a common drainage network shall consider to establish a
common effluent (discharge water) treatment system.
(10) The design of the common effluent (discharge water) treatment system sh all be dependent on the type
of culture system in practice, the quality and quantity of inputs used and the water quality management
method followed.
(11) For better water management, individual culture units shall be within 5 ha areas and suitable feede r
channel system shall be provided within the farm to effectively manage the water intake in all the
individual units.
(12) Pond preparation is an essential part of culture practices during which the metabolite load and
contaminants (chemical and biologica l) in the soil from the previous culture cycle is removed through
tilling, ploughing and drying.
(13) During pond preparation, the pests and predators are removed and pH and nutrient levels in the water
and soil are brought to optimal concentrations throu gh application of lime, organic manures and
inorganic fertilizers.
(14) The following may assist in pond preparation and reduction of the possible environmental impacts, -
(i) pond sediments from the previous culture, which are likely to have accumulation of n utrient
loads and other contaminants, shall not be disposed off in the natural environment;
(ii) in case it is necessary to remove the sediments and it shall be disposed off within the coastal
aquaculture farm site itself, by putting such sediments in trenches made in the wide dykes
and it shall be ensured that these sediments do not leach out;
(iii) application of lime is useful in correcting the pH of the soil and water, as a disinfectant and
for increasing the mineralisation process and if the soil pH is not below 7.5, a basal dose of
300-500 kg per ha. can be applied;
(iv) in acid soils, where the pH is low, the quantity of lime to be applied shall be calculated based
on the pH and type of lime used;
(v) unwanted or pest organisms shall be removed from the pond by drying of the pond bottom.
In cases, where complete drying is not possible, organic, biodegradable piscicides can be
used. No chemical piscicide shall be used;
(vi) chlorination can be done to remove the pests and pathogens in ponds where drying of pond
bottom is not possible;
(vii) fertilizers and manures shall be used judiciously as per the requirement. Over fertilization
shall be avoided and fertilizer schedule shall be decided on the basis of phytoplankton
growth in the ponds;
(viii) the colour and transparency of the water can be taken as indicators of plankton growth.
Optimal density of phytoplankton shall be maintained throughout the culture period;
(ix) heavy algal bloom shall never be allowed to develop since crash of algal bloom may lead to
anoxic conditions in the pond thereby affecting the survival and growth of the culture stock.
4. Water quality and its management. - (1) Brackish water/ sea water in adequate quantities shall be available
throughout the year and t he water source may be from backwaters, canals or creeks, lagoon s or sea.
(2) The coastal aquaculture units shall lay the pipeline without affecting natural environment to
draw the quality saline water from the near by source either creek, river or sea and to discharge
the treated waste water.
(3) Water quality parameters lik e pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen and the presence of
toxicants /pollutants shall be periodically ascertained and the optimal levels of various water
quality parameters for better survival and growth of species cultured are listed in the below
Table 1.
(4) The water source shall be free from any industrial or agricultural runoff and the presence of
contaminants and their levels shall be considered in the light of the tolerance and also sub-lethal
effects on the species to be cultured.
Table 1. Optimal levels of water quality parameters for coastal aquaculture farm
Sl. No. Water Quality Parameters Optimal Level
1.0 Temperature (oC) 28 – 33
2.0 Transparency (cm) 25 - 45
3.0 pH 7.5 - 8.5
4.0 Dissolved oxygen (ppm) 5 – 7 (above 50% air saturation)
5.0 Salini ty (ppt) As per species cultured
6.0 Total alkalinity (ppm) 200
7.0 Dissolved inorganic phosphate (ppm) 0.1 - 0.2
8.0 Nitrate - N (ppm) < 0.03
9.0 Nitrite - N (ppm) < 0.01
10.0 Ammonia - N (ppm) < 0.01
11.0 Cadmium (ppm) < 0.01
12.0 Chromium (ppm) < 0.1
13.0 Copper (ppm) < 0.025
14.0 Lead (ppm) < 0.1
15.0 Mercury (ppm) < 0.0001
16.0 Zinc (ppm) < 0.1
(5) The following are to ensure that the harmful effects of these practices are reduced ,-
(a) good water quality shall be maintained by using water stable f eed with minimal wastage.
(b) water quality parameters shall be monitored regularly and care shall be taken to avoid wide
fluctuations in water quality, so as to avoid stress to the farmed stock and proper screens shall be
used to prevent the entry of pests an d predators and dissolved oxygen concentrations shall be
measured during early morning hours.
(c) fertilizers and lime shall be used in a responsible manner only when it is actually required.
(d) use of groundwater to reduce the salinity of the culture water shall be avoided for sustainability
reasons; even though the farmed stock can adapt and grow in a wide range of salinity, it is better to
avoid salinity fluxes so as to avoid stress to the farmed stock, which could make them more prone to
diseases.
(e) indiscrimin ate use of chemicals, bacteriological and enzyme preparations that supposedly enhance
nutrient removal, organic matter, oxidation and removal of ammonia from water and soil shall be
avoided.
(6) General bio -security procedures, -
(a) the quality of intake water is very important for healthy operation of coastal aquaculture and the
pollution free water drawn from natural sources shall be filtered, chlorinated to kill the microbes and
de-chlorinated before usage.
(b) movement of men, materials and paraphernalia between di fferent coastal aquaculture farms shall be
controlled to avoid contamination.
(c) foot bath, hand bath, wash basins, toilets, etc. shall be provided to ensure adequate sanitation and
hygiene in the coastal aquaculture farm.
(d) the effluent water shall be properly treated in an effluent treatment system before discharge. Regular
monitoring of effluents shall be carried out to ensure environment standards stipulated.
(e) it is essential that the farmers shall maintain proper records of their activities, for verification by the
Authority and also to ensure traceability and easy market access.
5. Seed selection and stocking. - (1) Seed quality has a direct relationship with the survival and growth of the
cultured stock and the stocking density has a strong bearing on the l evel of waste generated in the pond and the
following items shall be observed, -
(a) only healthy high health and pathogen -free seed sourced from registered hatcheries shall be used for
stocking;
(b) the health status of the seed shall be checked through standard t esting procedures, including
Polymerase Chain Reaction;
(c) seed collection from the natural resources shall be banned by the State Governments with a view to
protecting a large spectrum of fin and shellfish species from being destroyed;
(d) before stocking the se ed shall be acclimatized to the prevailing temperature, salinity and pH in the
pond conditions by gradual mixing. In areas with very low salinity, salinity adjustments are to be
made over a period of 4 –5 days and hence shall be done at the hatchery itself .
6. Feed and feed management. -
(1) Careful feed management is essential for successful farming. By using good quality feed in reasonable
quantities, water and soil quality in ponds remains in optimum conditions. This reduces stress on farmed
species, th ere is less likelihood of disease, and they convert feed more efficiently to improve the feed
conversion ratio and minimize feed costs.
(2) Better water quality in ponds allows minimum load of nutrients in waste water and reduces the
possibility of enviro nmental impacts in receiving water bodies.
(3) Farmers shall keep full records of daily feed schedules to enable assessment of Feed Conversion Ratio,
which shall be used to increase feeding efficiency and reduction in feed waste .
7. Health management. - (1) Viruses, bacteria, protozoa cause the major diseases and the diseases that have led to
devastations or economic loss in farming globally are enlisted and updated by World Organization for Animal Health
from time to time.
(2) Apart from these, diseases o f concern for finfish, crustaceans, molluscs, marine algae and other
commercial candidate species of national concern or globally emerging diseases of economic
importance will also be notified by the Government from time to time.
(3) Outbreak of disease i n culture systems is related to the environmental factors such as deterioration of
water quality, sedimentation and self -pollution.
(4) Treatment shall be undertaken only when a specific disease has been diagnosed.
(5) Effective measures shall be taken t o minimize the spread of disease between farm stocks and natural
stocks.
(6) The following guidelines envisage health management as a holistic activity with disease prevention as the
main objective.
(7) The approach includes reduced stocking of disease -free seed, better handling, maintenance of good pond
environment and optimal feed management to reduce the stress and prevent most infectious and non-
infectious diseases.
(a) the health of the culture stock shall be monitored continuously and those with any one or more of
the following conditions are diagnosed to have some disease: -
(i) inactive and sluggish, empty gut, bluish/blackish coloration;
(ii) body blisters, flared up gills, broken appendages; and
(iii) black / white spots, coloured gills and opaque muscles.
(b) any disease shall be diagnosed immediately with the help of trained pathologists or
microbiologists.
(c) chemical treatments that can stress the animals shall not be employed.
(d) disease problems arising in aquaculture can be attributed primarily to the environmental
degradation and most of the pathogens are facultative pathogenic in nature.
(e) management of pond environment is of utmost importance for disease prevention and control.
(f) for non -infectious diseases related to pond conditions, treatment of animals shall be c arried out
or pond conditions corrected.
(g) for mild infectious diseases with potential to spread, the pond shall be quarantined and the best
options for disease treatment shall be carried out.
(h) for serious infectious diseases that may spread widely, the pond shall be isolated, remaining
farmed stock shall be net harvested and the pond shall be disinfected without discharging any
water.
(i) dead and diseased farmed stock shall be disposed of in a sanitary manner that will discourage
the spread of disease.
(j) when dise ase occurs in a pond, transfer of farmed stock , equipment, or water to other ponds
shall be avoided.
(k) drugs, antibiotics and other chemical treatments that are permitted shall be done judiciously in
accordance with recommended practices and all national and international regulations shall be
complied with.
8. Use of Fertilizers and other Aquaculture inputs, - (1) Use of fertilizers: As far as possible only organic manure or
fertilizers and other plant products shall be used for coastal aquaculture for promot ing the growth of fish food
organisms, particularly for the early post -larval stages.
(2) Use of piscicides: Use of chemical piscicides in coastal aquaculture shall be avoided. It would be
advisable to use only the biodegradable organic plant extracts for this purpose, as they are less harmful than
the chemical agents.
(3) The use of antibiotics in coastal aquaculture shall be strictly prohibited
(4) The list of antibiotics or pharmacologically active substances that are prohibited for use in coastal
aquaculture shall be as specified under rule 18 of the said rules.
(5) The coastal aquaculture inputs shall comply with the Guidelines issued under rule 3 (e) of the said rules
(6) The Coastal aquaculture inputs including seed shall not contain any ant ibiotic prohibited for use in
coastal aquaculture.
9. Harvest and post-harvest. - (1) During the harvesting maximum suspended particles are likely to be released into
the open waters, great care shall be taken to prevent such a release and the farmers are a dvised to adopt the following
norms while harvesting the crop, -
(a) harvesting may be done by completely draining the pond either by gravity or through pumping and
hand picking or trapping;
(b) the water drained out for harvesting shall be pumped into the waste stabilization ponds and kept
for a few days for settlement followed by chlorination and de -chlorination before releasing into
the open water; and
(c) icing shall be done immediately after harvest.
10. Waste water management. - (1) The following checklist will guide the coastal aquaculture farmer in waste
management and for protection of the water and land resources.
Checklist for wastewater management: -
(a) Proper designing of the farm with independent intake and outfall will reduce the nutrient
loading;
(b) Proper co mpaction of bunds with vegetative cover shall be provided which will reduce erosion;
(c) Proper pond preparation methods will reduce nutrient loads;
(d) Proper water and soil quality management in the culture ponds will reduce the nutrient
loading of wastewater;
(e) Responsible feed management will reduce feed wastage;
(f) During harvest, water shall be drained carefully avoiding re-suspension of sediment;
(g) Wastewater shall not be discharged into freshwater areas or onto agricultural land; and
(h) Removing of sediments from the pond bottom shall be avoided. It shall be corrected in situ.
(2) Effluent Treatment System is mandatory for coastal aquaculture farm above 5 ha, at least 10 percent of
the total water spread area shall be earmarked for the Effluent Treatment System which may be used for
secondary aquaculture projects, particularly for culture of mussels, oysters, seaweed, other fin fishes, etc
and such integrated projects shall help improving the waste water quality, reducing the organic and
nutrient loads and producing a n additional cash crop.
(3) The standards shown in Table 2 are laid down for the wastewater discharged from the coastal aquaculture
units.
Table 2. Standards for waste water discharges from the coastal aquaculture units
Sl. No
Parameters Final Dischar ge Point
Coastal
Marine
Waters Creek or estuarine
courses when the same
inland water courses
are used as water
source & disposal point
1 pH 6.0–9.0 6.0–9.0
2 Suspended solids mg/1 100 100
3 Dissolved oxygen mg/1 Not less than 3 Not less than 3
4 Free Ammonia (asNH3 -N)mg/1 1.0 0.5
5 Biochemical Oxygen Demand -BOD
(5 days@20 c)Max mg/1 50 20
6 Chemical Oxygen
Demand -COD mg/1Max 100 75
7 Dissolved Phosphate
(as P) mg/1Max 0.4 0.2
8 Total Nitrogen (as N)mg/1 2.0 2.0
9 Nitrate N(ppm) 1.0 0.5
(4) It is advisable to let ponds dry between harvests rather than removing sediment accumulations from the
pond bottom. This method is probably less environmentally damaging than indiscriminate discharge of
bottom sediment.
(5) The solid waste of the coastal aquaculture farm, including sludge and scrapped soil from the ponds shall
not be disposed of into the waterways. The solid waste shall be disposed in compliance with the
guidelines issued rule 3(g) of the said rules.
11. Environment impact assessm ent and Environment monitoring and management plans .- (1) An Environment
Impact Assessment and Environment monitoring and management plans shall be made at the planning stage by all
coastal aquaculture units above 40 ha size.
(2) All coastal aquaculture u nits of 10 ha in size and above but less than 40 ha shall furnish detailed
statement with information on the likely impacts along with the detailed plans.
(3) The Sub Divisional Level Committees and District Level Committees set up by the Authority shall b e
the Environment Impact Assessment Authorities and shall ensure that such an Environment Impact
Assessment or Environment monitoring and management plans as applicable has been carried out by
the coastal aquaculture units before their proposal is recommen ded for registration to the Authority for
approval.
(4) The Authority shall empanel Environment Impact Assessment Consultant Organization that are
accredited with the National Accreditation Board for Education and Training of Quality Council of
India and h aving its expertise in aquaculture related matters for the preparations of Environment
Impact Assessment and Environment monitoring and management plans reports of coastal aquaculture
units.
(5) The Project Proponent” who is an individual or public or pri vate entity or private entity, that has
ultimate control over the affairs of the coastal aquaculture unit and is duly authorized or appointed by
the Board of Directors of the company or a competent authority of such entity shall engage an
Environment Impac t Assessment Consultant Organization empaneled by the authority for the
preparation of the Environment Impact Assessment or Environment monitoring and management plans
Report.
(6) The Final Environment Impact Assessment Report and the Environment monitori ng and management
plans as applicable, prepared, after the required consultations, including mitigation measures duly
addressing the concerns raised by the public, time bound action plan, budgetary provision for the
commitments made therein by the project proponent, shall be submitted with the application for
registration to the Environment Impact Assessment Authorities referred in para 11.3 for the purpose of
appraisal.
(7) The Sub Divisional Level Committees and District Level Committees shall after havin g satisfied, shall
recommend the application for registration along with the Final Environment Impact Assessment
Report and the Environment monitoring and management plans as applicable to the Authority.
(8) Post -project evaluations shall be conducted to c ompare actual environmental and social impacts with
predictions made during the Environment Impact Assessment or Environment monitoring and
management plans by the project proponent and submitted to Sub Divisional Level Committees and
District Level Commit tees of concerned States or Union Territories while applying for the renewal of
registration.
12. Procedure for Environment Impact Assessment .- (1) Environment Impact Assessment is a process where the
environmental risk of development is assessed in term s of acceptable environmental impact and balanced against the
projected benefits of the development and it provides information on the present situation and future trends of an
environmental resource and proposes alternatives for action.
The Environment I mpact Assessment Report shall be prepared on the basis of the following process. -
(i) screening is a preliminary examination of a project to determine whether a more detailed
environmental assessment is required and if so, at what level;
(ii) if there is uncertai nty about an aquaculture unit in relation to the criteria, an Initial
Environmental Assessment may be required, and this may be subject to review before a
decision is made about the need for a full Environment Impact Assessment;
(iii) scoping is a process to id entify and evaluate community and scientific concerns about a
proposed aquaculture unit so that they can be addressed systematically in the
Environment Impact Assessment;
(iv) the output from scoping usually includes detailed terms of reference for further work .
Scoping shall include s pecific objectives of Environment Impact Assessment,
identification of key issues and impacts during construction/establishment, operation and
decommissioning phases, and alternatives;
(v) prediction of impacts is the core of Environme nt Impact Assessment and involves
identifying and defining more clearly the impacts that are to be investigated in detail and
analyzing these impacts in terms of their major characteristics and significance and the
type and scale of any ecological change associated with coastal aquaculture development
will depend on the method of aquaculture, the level of production, and the physical,
chemical, and biological characteristics of the coastal area;
(vi) impact analysis methods shall be in proportion to the scope o f the assessment and the
relative importance of the impact and assessments shall be quantitative wherever
possible, in order to assess impacts there must be a baseline or standard to measure
against;
(vii) public involvement and comments on predicted or new impa cts can be used to adapt and
refine both the monitoring programme and environmental management plan and the
widest possible range of stakeholders having a direct or indirect impact on the sector
shall be consulted or actively involved, especially where the re are multiple and
competing stakeholders or where disputes or conflicts are evident; and
(viii) mitigation measures to minimize, avoid, or compensate for the anticipated impacts are
to be provided and mitigation of the environmental impacts of aquaculture units can be
implemented through modifications and improvements in application procedures and
management practices.
13. Environment monitoring and management plans - (1) The major endpoints for investigation to prepare the
Environment monitoring and management plans shall be the impact on, -
(i) the water courses in the vicinity;
(ii) the ground water quality;
(iii) the drinking water sources;
(iv) the agricultural activity;
(v) the soil;
(vi) the mangroves.
(2) The following shall be followed for the preparation of Environment monitorin g and management
plans, -
(a) the monitoring the environment for impacts is dependent on the purposes and aims of the study,
ecological end points under investigation, the size of the farm, site characteristics, etc;
(b) the basic objectives of environmental monit oring shall be the level of, or trend in a particular
parameter and ensure that it does not fall below or exceed a predetermined value related to the
natural conditions for the area;
(c) in monitoring the environmental effects of coastal aquaculture farm, data is to be collected at
various time points and compared with original pre -development data and or with contemporary
reference data and t he available data has to be collected from the published documents/literature. If
the required data is not available, th en the environmental impacts can be determined by comparing
the impacted area with a control site;
(d) baseline monitoring, both spatial and temporal refers to the measurement of environmental
parameters during a pre -project period for the purpose of determini ng the nature and ranges of
natural variation and to establish, where appropriate, the nature of change and it provides essential
background ecosystem data for subsequent comparison. This data can aid in the design of an
appropriate monitoring study, i.e. focusing on the areas which are most relevant for investigating
change in any particular environment;
(e) monitoring methodology depends on the location of sampling stations, frequency of sampling,
method of sampling, and method of analysis of the samples take n to measure the determinants;
(f) the monitoring programs shall have realistic temporal and spatial sampling elements and the
sampling methods shall be relevant to the target area;
(g) the selection of sampling stations will vary with location and purpose of the monitoring effort and
by using a detailed map of the area, number of sampling stations has to be fixed for a good
monitoring program, once the sampling stations have been selected, they shall be capable of
permanently identifying in the field and be marked on a map or GPS readings of the stations must
be noted so that samples can always be taken from the same location. All the sampling stations
shall have accessibility so that it will be possible to obtain all samples on each sampling date;
(h) all samples sha ll be taken on the same day if possible. If monitoring programs have many
sampling stations or several remote stations, the whole sampling for a particular month shall be
done preferably within 2 or 3 days;
(i) the parameters to measure are those most likely to cause deterioration of water quality conditions
and will vary according to the major endpoint under investigation and few important parameters
may be selected that can be reliably measured and interpreted rather than to analyse a wide range
of paramete rs;
(j) in order to ensure that environmental change does not exceed the pre -determined and accepted
levels, Environmental Quality Standards have to be established, a precondition for effective
monitoring program and Environmental Quality Standards are levels of particular parameters
associated with an identified use, which may be imposed to ensure that the objectives are not
compromised and the setting of standards shall be done with the input from a broad range of
institutions;
(k) corrections would be made to fa rm management, depending on the results obtained from
monitoring programs;
(l) as the nature and scale of an ecological impact will depend on the type of aquaculture practice and
the location of the operation, it is likely that the protocols will have to be mo dified according to
local requirements;
(m) it shall consider green belt development.
14. Assessment of the cost of demolition. -The environmental monitoring committee constituted under sub -rule
(1) of rule17 of the said rules shall assess the cost of dama ge to the environment and cost of demolition based on the
following broad principles:
(a) Use such scientific methods to assess the cost of damage which are expandable to different
scales, inclusive of externalities, practical to implement or such other method as the
committee deems fit;
(b) Identify elements that may cause damage to the environment supported with adequate data to
address the probability of the impact occurring, consequences if it does occur, and the level
of confidence in the analysis; and
(c) A relat ionship between levels of activity to the degree of damage shall be developed to
derive the monetary value of the impact associated and appropriate set of data shall used to
arrive at actual environmental damages based on -ground study.
15. Integrated coast al zone management. – (1) Integrated coastal zone management plans shall be prepared for each
coastal State by the States concerned with zoning for different activities and with buffer zones and updated regularly.
(2) Detailed master plans for development of aquaculture through macro and micro -level surveys of the
potential areas and zonation of coastal area delineating the land suitable and unsuitable for aquaculture
using the remote sensing data, ground truth verification, Geographical Information System and socio -
economic aspects shall be considered.
16. Aqua Zonation. - (1) Aquaculture zoning brings together the criteria for locating aquaculture and other activities
in order to define broad zones suitable for different activities or mixes of activities.
(2) An aquaculture zone is an area dedicated to aquaculture, recognized by planning authorities, that would
be considered a priority for local aquaculture development
(3) Aquaculture zones for land -based aquaculture and for aquaculture in open water bodies need to be
earmarked in the coastal states after considering the environmental suitability and other resource use
plans through spatial planning
(4) There is a need to identify suitable zones for aquaculture by the respective States or Union Territories
considering the present land use, extent of utilization of resources, carrying capacity of the source water
bodies, site -specific water quality parameters, soil quality, culture species, existing provisions of various
relevant Acts and Rules or Regulations, relevant directions contained in various Judgments of Hon'ble
Courts etc.
(5) The aqua maps indicating aquaculture zones shall appropriately indicate the distance between such zones
and Agricultural lands, mangroves, wetlands, forest lands, flood -prone re gions, water holding areas
during the rainy season, land meant for public purposes, and ecologically sensitive areas like national
parks and sanctuaries, etc.,
(6) The number and extent of permitted existing aquaculture units need to be taken into conside ration before
new permissions to maintain environmental sustainability and the carrying capacity of water bodies and
such coastal aquaculture zonation and mapping shall be based on the evaluation of environmental
parameters, including the probability of oc currence of harmful algal blooms and their impact on the
environment .
(7) The potential areas for promoting coastal aquaculture based on the criteria such as fallow lands, low
lying areas, inundated lands, the lands which are not fit for agriculture, alkal ine and saline lands may be
considered for declaring as potential areas for promotion of coastal aquaculture and may be notified
along with aquaculture zones by the respective States or Union Territories .
17. Aqua mapping. – (1) Each state map of potential aquaculture zones will be based on the existing resource -sharing
capacity for all aquaculture units.
(2) Geospatial mapping of suitable lands for pond aquaculture needs to integrate land use, soil
characteristics, water quality from source water bodies, and environmental regulations.
(3) Such mapping of aqua zones shall also consider socio -cultural attributes, local area master plans and
other logistics, with consideration to protect the livelihoods of local fishing communities and their
access to fishi ng grounds and avoiding conflict with other users.
18. Cluster management, record maintenance and networking. - (1) There shall be an awareness of avoiding social
conflicts and the stakeholders together shall discuss common problems and adopt appropriate m anagement measures to
avoid conflicts and increase sustainability of the farming systems.
(2) Farmers’ Associations and Self -Help Groups: Farmers shall form co -operatives, associations or self -
help groups in order to exchange technology and to achieve co -operation in water use and waste
management.
(3) Facilities for regular extension work and different aspects of training shall be made available to the
farmers. Individual farmers and self -help groups or Associations shall arrange to interact with the
extension staff in the State Department of Fisheries, the Marine Products Exports Development
Authority, Indian Council of Agricultural Research institutions , Agricultural Universities, and Non -
Governmental Organizations, as the case may be to assist the smal l farmers.
(4) For facilitating data collection on the practices and farm accounts, farmers or self -help groups shall
co-operate with the State Department of Fisheries to collect, organize, and evaluate data to
demonstrate the adoption of the guidelines and document the benefits of their use and also for other
statistical purposes.
(5) Farmers shall be encouraged to join Farmer Producer Organizations or farmers information network
at the local, national and regional levels and t he aquaculture networks ava ilable shall be made use by
farmers/ Groups for improving their knowledge and skills and also for obtaining latest
developments and market trends.
19. Protecting the livelihood of various coastal communities. - Coastal aquaculture, is one among the several
activities in the coastal area involving the coastal communities.
(a) farm owners or managers shall respect the community rights and needs and in case of any conflicts
arising always attempt to solve the problems in amicable ways for ensuring harmony in the
community and sustainability of the coastal aquaculture farm and they shall cooperate with the
community and other sectoral users of the coastal resources, in common efforts for improving
environmental conditions and community welfare.
(b) care shall be taken to see that the natural drainage canals which are used as water source for
aquaculture units are not blocked so as to avoid flooding of low lying areas and villages.
(c) salinisation of land and drinking water shall be avoided by providing suitable buffer zones
between agricultural land, villages and coastal aquaculture farm.
(d) to avoid problems of ground water salinisation, drawal of ground water is strictly prohibited for
coastal aquaculture and the farmer shall monitor salinity ingress regularly, in case of sal inity
ingress, the Authority shall take action.
(e) the operator of every coastal aquaculture unit shall take measures for abatement of noise
including noise emanating from generators and other machineries and ensure that the existing
noise levels do not excee d the ambient air quality standards specified under the Noise Pollution
(Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000 made under the Environment (Protection) Act 1986 .
(f) use of common property resources like the creeks, canals, etc shall be carried out in a
harmoniou s manner and the traditional rights of the coastal communities shall not be affected in
any way.
[F.No. j -1903336/2/2024 -DOF (E -23648)]
NEETU KUMARI PRASAD, J t. Secy.
Uploaded by Dte. of Printing at Government of India Press, Ring R oad, Mayapuri, Ne w Delhi -110064
and Published by the Controller of Publications, Delhi -110054.
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