Full Text
REGD. No. D. L.-33004/99
The Gazette of India
CG-DL-E-28072025-265018
EXTRAORDINARY
PART II—Section 3—Sub-section (ii)
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY
No. 3387]
NEW DELHI, FRIDAY, JULY 25, 2025/SHRAVANA 3, 1947
5028 GI/2025
MINISTRY OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING
(Department of Fisheries)
NOTIFICATION
New Delhi, the 24th July, 2025
S.O. 3464(E).- In pursuance of section 3 of the Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act, 2005 (24 of
2005) read with clause (q) of the Coastal Aquaculture Authority Rules, 2024 (hereinafter referred to as the
said rules), the Central Government hereby makes the following guidelines for regulating seed production
and farming of bivalves including clams, mussels, edible oysters, pearl oysters and any other bivalves
permitted by the Central Government in brackish and marine waters, namely:-
PART I
Safeguards and specifications for operation of Hatcheries for Bivalves
1. Criteria and procedure for registration of hatchery for bivalves.- (1) Any person engaged in the
operation of hatcheries or intending to engage in bivalve seed production which includes clams,
mussels, edible oysters, pearl oysters and any other bivalves permitted by the Central Government
having the required biosecurity facilities and in-house quarantine facility as specified by the Coastal
Aquaculture Authority may apply for registration to the Authority for hatchery and seed rearing.
(2) The hatchery shall have strict biosecurity control through physical separation or isolation of the
different production facilities or isolation through the construction of barriers and implementation of
process and product flow controls.
(3) The hatchery shall have a wall or a fence around the periphery of the premises, with adequate height
to prevent the entry of animals and unauthorised persons in order to reduce the risk of pathogen
introduction and to improve overall security.
(4) The hatchery operator shall submit an application for registration in Form II of the Coastal
Aquaculture Authority Rules, 2024 alongwith the documents as specified in Schedule II of the said
rules and a fee of rupees ten thousand as per rule 9 of the said rules.
(5) Approval of the hatchery for rearing bivalve seed shall be given by the Authority after considering
the inspection report of the hatchery facilities of a team constituted by the Authority for this purpose.
2. Site Selection.- (1) Site adjacent to the sea shall be preferred for setting up of a bivalve hatchery.
(2) Consistency in seawater salinity shall be maintained at 30-35 parts per thousand for successful
operations.
(3) Areas with thriving bivalve beds shall be preferred for setting up of a bivalve hatchery.
(4) Construction of hatchery in cyclone-prone areas and regions susceptible to natural calamities and
harmful algal blooms shall be avoided.
3. Design and construction of bivalve hatchery.- (1) The design and construction of a bivalve hatchery
shall be carefully considered, to ensure the on efficient management and environmental preservation.
(2) Basic requirements for a bivalve hatchery shall include facilities for conditioning and spawning
adult bivalves, rearing and settling larvae, promoting juvenile growth and establishment of systems for
abundant algae production to sustain all developmental stages.
4. Sanitary requirement.- (1) Entry to the hatchery shall be restricted to the personnel assigned to work
exclusively in this area and a record of personnel entering the facility shall be maintained by the
personnel entrusted with the security of the hatchery.
(2) Any person entering the hatchery shall take a shower and change into working clothes including
boots before entering into the facility.
(3) A provision shall be made for disinfection of vehicle tyres (tyre baths at the gate with > 100 ppm
of active ingredients Sodium/calcium hypochlorite solution), 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.
(4) All the cleaning chemicals, sanitary chemicals and other input materials shall be stored separately
with proper labelling outside the production area.
(5) Hatchery surrounding shall be maintained hygienically throughout the production cycle without
any accumulation of waste materials.
5. 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 or such other appropriate disinfectants 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, the addition of Ethylene
Diamine Tetra Acetic acid and temperature and salinity regulation.
(5) The following optimal levels of water quality parameters of bivalve hatchery shall be maintained,
namely:-
+--------------------------------+-----------------------------------+-------------------+
| Serial Number | Water Quality Parameters | Optimal Level |
+--------------------------------+-----------------------------------+-------------------+
| (1) | (2) | (3) |
+--------------------------------+-----------------------------------+-------------------+
| 1 | Temperature (° C) | 28 - 33 |
| 2 | pH | 7.5 - 8.5 |
| 3 | Dissolved oxygen (ppm) | 5-7(above 50% air saturation) |
| 4 | Salinity (ppt) | 30 - 35 |
| 5 | Total alkalinity (ppm) | 200 |
| 6 | Dissolved inorganic phosphate (ppm) | 0.1 - 0.2 |
| 7 | Nitrate - N (ppm) | < 0.03 |
| 8 | Nitrite - N (ppm) | < 0.01 |
| 9 | Ammonia - N (ppm) | < 0.01 |
+--------------------------------+-----------------------------------+-------------------+
6. Water treatment and discharge of wastewater.- (1) The waste water from the hatchery shall be held
temporarily and treated with hypochlorite solution (>20 ppm active chlorine for not less than sixty
minutes) or other effective disinfectant before its discharge.
(2) The seawater to be used in the facility shall be delivered into a storage tank where it may 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)/ozonation and strong aeration.
(3) No wastewater shall be released out of the hatchery without chlorination and dechlorination, so as
to prevent the escape of the pathogens or parasites into the natural waters and the effluent treatment
system shall be designed as per the Guidelines for Regulating Hatcheries and Farms for Seed
Production and Culture of SPF L. vannamei.
7. Disinfection of implements.- (1) Containers and hoses that are used shall be washed and disinfected
with hypochlorite solution (> 50 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 all the implements shall be disinfected after use at the
end of each day.
8. Broodstock collection and management.- (1) A dedicated space within the hatchery shall be kept for
broodstock conditioning or position condition tanks in a quiet area to minimise disturbances.
(2) Healthy and suitable broodstock shall be collected from natural beds.
(3) Steps shall be taken to ensure the health of collected adult bivalves or broodstock to ensure quality
seed production.
(4) Proper care shall be taken to maintain optimal salinity, aeration and temperature during
transportation of adult bivalves or broodstock, to avoid the stress and mortality.
(5) Before introducing collected spawners or broodstock into the hatchery or maturation system, it shall
be ensured that the same are of good health, free from deformities and disease-causing pathogens and
parasites.
(6) Cultured marine algal species shall be used as a primary food source during conditioning and
alternatively natural phytoplankton that are commercially available algae paste shall be used as food
resources.
9. Quarantine.- (1) For the purpose of broodstock quarantine,- (a) the hatchery operator shall have a
proper and fully bio-secured facility;
(b) adult bivalve or broodstock that are collected shall be quarantined in the in-house quarantine facility
before entry in to the hatchery;
(c) periodic disease surveillance shall be carried out for domesticated broodstock;
(d) water discharged from the quarantine facility shall be treated separately before its release into the
effluent treatment system.
(2) For the screening of pathogens,- (a) screening shall be done for all the pathogens recommended by
the Government institutes;
(b) samples shall be collected using non-lethal methods from individual adult bivalve or broodstock;
(c) the sample shall be referred to the Aquatic Quarantine Facility laboratory at Neelankarai, Chennai
or Indian Council of Agricultural Research or Council of Scientific and Industrial Research or any
other accredited laboratory for testing of pathogens;
(d) the quarantined bivalves shall be shifted to broodstock holding tanks after the quarantine period, if
no pathogen is detected in the test report of the sample;
(e) in the event of detection of any relevant pathogen, the sample shall be sent to the Indian Council of
Agricultural Research - Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture or Central Marine Fisheries
Research Institute as referral laboratory for validation or confirmation;
(f) in case of confirmation, the unit operator shall destroy the entire infected stock and incinerate for
containment of the spread of the infection under intimation to the Authority.
10. Seed production and sale.- (1) 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 seed
production system.
(2) Only healthy seeds free from any fouler or borers or deformities that are tested for quality and free
from pathogens shall be sold to the approved farms to rear the seed of bivalves as per the due
biosecurity protocols specified in the said rules.
(3) Hatchery operator shall maintain record of the number of adult or broodstock bivalve received, the
seed produced and sold, and submit the same in the quarterly compliance reports in Form Q-1 of these
guidelines.
(4) A copy of the certificate of registration referred to in paragraph 1 shall be retained by the hatchery
operator and produced at the time of inspection.
(5) The detailed record of the seed production and sale including the name and address of the buyer or
farmer shall be maintained by the hatchery operator.
11. Disease reporting and record maintenance.- (1) Any disease outbreak in the hatchery shall be
reported immediately to the Authority.
(2) The hatcheries shall maintain a record of the procurement of adult or broodstock bivalve with details
of source, quantity procured, the number of mortality, eggs produced, seed produced, seed sold, name
and address of the farmer to whom the same is sold, date and number of the registration such details
shall also be mentioned in the quarterly compliance report submitted to the Authority in Form Q-1.
12. Inspection.- A person authorised by the Authority shall periodically visit the hatcheries and check
the status of the adult or broodstock bivalves, the seed production and sale thereof.
13. Bank Guarantee:- The approved hatcheries shall pay a sum of rupees fifty thousand as 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 specifications for approval and operation of bivalve farming
14. Criteria for registration of bivalve farming.- (1) Bivalve farmers shall submit an application in Form
I Sub-Divisional Level Committee or District Level Committee concerned along with the documents
and registration fee in accordance with the procedure laid down in rule 9 of the Coastal Aquaculture
Authority Rules, 2024.
(2) The inspection team authorised by the Authority shall inspect the farm in accordance with rule 10
of the said rules and based on its recommendations regarding the suitability of the farm for farming of
bivalves, the application shall be processed by the Secretary of the Authority for registering the units
for bivalve farming.
(3) Farms shall lay down adequate biosecurity measures in the farm to avoid infestation of foulers,
borers, predators and entry of other pathogens or parasites and shall be managed by personnel who are
trained or experienced in bivalve farming.
15. Bivalve farming.- (1) Potential species for bivalve farming may include clams, mussels, edible
oysters, pearl oysters or any other bivalves permitted by the Central Government.
(2) The following culture conditions for bivalves shall be maintained, namely:-
(a) the suitable sites for bivalve farming in creeks, backwaters and open coastal waters
shall be identified by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Council of
Scientific and Industrial Research institutes and other recognised Government
institutions and the bivalve farming shall be promoted in such identified sites only;
(b) sites with good tidal amplitude, clear sandy or clay bottoms devoid of silt and muddy
areas shall be selected for bivalve farming;
(c) the Central Government, the State Government or any organisations or local bodies
authorised by the Government may allocate suitable sites to an individual or self help
groups or joint liability groups or fish farmer producer organisations or societies or
farmers or entrepreneurs or technocrats with specific geo-coordinates or geo-fencing
to enable registration for bivalve farms by such persons.
(d) bivalve farming with cultivation methods such as bottom and off-bottom culture
methods (stake or pole method, rack, raft and long-line method) shall be taken up in
the allotted sites in consultation with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research,
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research or other Central Institutes by assessing
the techno economic viability;
(e) adequate road connectivity to the farming site for transporting seeds and harvested
bivalve shall be ensured.;
(f) land-based cultivation in ponds or tanks or raceways shall be adopted for edible
bivalve for better control over quality and to avoid toxic impurities;
(g) to minimize conflict of interest along the coastline, bivalve farming shall be taken up
in sites away from existing commercial shipping and navigational lanes, areas
designated for fishing, ports and harbours, restricted defence sensitive areas, wave or
tidal energy projects, pipelines, recreational activities and ecologically sensitive areas;
(h) bivalve farming site shall have water depth ranging from 1-50 metres depending on
the specific species;
(i) the sites with high level of pollution and contaminants and harmful algal blooms shall
be avoided;
(j) moderate water flow shall be maintained for providing a constant supply of food
particles and removal of waste and areas with strong currents shall be avoided as the
same can dislodge or damage the bivalves;
(k) the sites which are free from predators and competing species shall be identified for
bivalve farming.;
(l) the following water quality parameters suitable for bivalve farming shall be
maintained, namely:-
+-----------------------+---------------+
| Parameters | Optimum range |
+-----------------------+---------------+
| pH | 7.5 - 8.5 |
| DO (mg/L) | 5 - 7 |
| Salinity (ppt) | 5 - 35 |
| Water temperature (°C)| 25 - 31 |
| NO3 (mg/L) | < 0.01 |
| NO2 (mg/L) | < 0.03 |
| Ammonia | < 0.01 |
+-----------------------+---------------+
(m) healthy and tested seed shall be stocked with a desirable stocking density based on the
species and culture systems.
16. Bivalve farming systems.- (1) Bivalve farming may be undertaken by the following systems,
namely:-
(a) rack culture system which shall have, - (i) shallow depths ranging between two and five meters;
(ii) teak or casuarina poles with a thickness of 4-5 inches which shall be vertically erected into the
substratum in shallow areas and horizontally-oriented poles shall be used to connect the vertical
poles, tied together with coir ropes;
(iii) rectangular racks and situated just above the highest high tide level;
(iv) a 30 square meter rack to accommodate approximately 100 rens, seeded ropes or cages.
(b) raft culture system which shall have,- (i) sheltered bays with considerable depth;
(ii) adjustable raft size preferably 6x5 meter based on site convenience;
(iii) logs of teak, venteak, or casuarina wood for its construction;
(iv) buoys with appropriate weight of the anchors based on the tidal amplitude and depth of water for
floating of the rafts;
(v) fiberglass-covered empty oil drums, mild steel drums, fibre-reinforced plastic or polystyrene floats
for floatation devices;
(vi) moorings with anchors at opposite sides using tested quality chains with the direction of mooring
determined by prevalent wind patterns at the site.
(c) long line culture system which shall have,- (i) greater depth capable of withstanding high wind and
wave motion to be used in open water;
(ii) a long synthetic rope (15-20 mm) with two main floats attached at each end;
(iii) smaller floats attached to the mainline, preferably at intervals of five meters, depending on the
length of the long line;
(iv) anchor with long line for providing buoyancy to the culture units;
(v) lengthy lines arranged horizontally in succession, providing ample space for bivalves to grow;
(vi) submerged long lines with good mooring and protection for pearl farming.
(d) onshore culture system which shall have,- (i) cement tanks with a surface area ranging from two
hundred fifty to five hundred sq. meters for raising bivalves particularly pearl oyster seeds;
(ii) water level maintained at one meter;
(iii) polyvinyl chloride pipe grid system to keep the bivalves suspended above the tank's bottom;
(iv) stocking density based on the stage and size of the bivalves and 125 bivalves per square meter for
pearl oysters farming;
(v) maintain 25 percent water exchange on daily basis.
(2) Any other suitable and approved methods such as off-bottom methods may also be adopted for
bivalve farming.
17. Health Management.- (1) Prohibited pharmacologically active substances and antimicrobial agents
shall not be used in the bivalve farming.
(2) Regular monitoring of the health of the bivalves for signs of disease, stress or mortality shall be
done.
(3) Fouling and boring issues shall be addressed regularly.
(4) Effective predator controls to protect the spat and juveniles, minimising the productivity loss shall
be taken up by engaging trained or experienced technical personnel.
(5) Inspection of nets, barriers and other deterrents for any damage or sign of predator intrusion shall
be carried out regularly.
18. Harvesting and processing.- (1) Appropriate harvesting techniques shall be carried out whether
manual or mechanical, to minimise the damage to the harvested bivalves.
(2) Proper post harvesting procedures including cleaning, depuration, sorting and grading of bivalves
shall be followed.
19. Record of maintenance.- (1) Record of source of seed material, stocking quantity, culture duration,
materials used, harvested quantity and buyer details shall be maintained in physical and electronic form
by the farmers for traceability purposes.
(2) The farmer shall produce the farm records on demand by the authorised personnel or officials.
20. Penalty for violation.- Violation of the provisions of these regulations shall attract penalty under
section 14 of the Act.
Form Q-1
[See Sub-paragraph (3) of paragraph 10, sub-paragraph (2) of paragraph 11 and sub-paragraph (1)
of paragraph 13]
(The Quarterly Compliance Report from Bivalve Hatcheries)
The quarterly report shall contain the following information, namely
1. Name and address of the hatchery:
2. Date and number of certificate of registration and permission to the hatchery:
3. Source of adult or broodstock procured:
4. Number of adult or broodstock procured:
5. Transport mortality:
6. Quarantine mortality:
7. Total number of spawnings:
8. Total number of eggs produced:
9. Total number of seed or spat produced:
10. Total number of juveniles produced:
11. Report on general aquatic health monitoring and any unusual mortality:
12. Total number of spat or juveniles sold to the farmers:
13. Details of the farmers to whom sold (shall include information about the name, address and registration
number) and copy of the registration certificate for culturing bivalves issued by Coastal Aquaculture
Authority.
[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.
AMIT KUMAR JAISWAL