Preface:

Coastal aquaculture has been recognised as an important tool for employment generation and as a vital source of supply for meeting the food security and nutritional requirements of our growing population. The Supreme Court in its judgement dated 11th December, 1996 regarding shrimp aquaculture activities in coastal areas, directed the setting up of an Aquaculture Authority to regulate shrimp farming in the country .The intention behind the judgement is to develop shrimp aquaculture in a sustainable and eco-friendly manner. The Apex Court in its judgement also permitted farmers practising traditional and improved traditional systems of shrimp farming to adopt improved technology for increased production, productivity and returns with the prior approval of the Aquaculture Authority. The Aquaculture Authority in pursuance of this direction constituted a Technical Committee which has formulated guidelines for adopting improved technology. These guidelines are comprehensive and lay down specific parameters for adopting improved technology by shrimp farmers practising traditional / improved traditional systems of shrimp aquaculture. I believe that the practical guidelines evolved by the Technical Committee would be beneficial for shrimp growers, the scientific community and planners in achieving the objectives of sustainable and eco-friendly coastal aquaculture.

Foreward:

The Guidelines for Adopting Improved Technology for Increasing Production and Productivity in Traditional and Improved Traditional Systems of Shrimp Farming have been formulated with the objective of optimising yield levels in such systems on sustainable basis. The Guidelines also aim at improving the management of shrimp aquaculture in traditional systems to ensure long term sustainability of the farming practices and environmental security. In preparation of the Guidelines, efforts have been made to incorporate data based on scientific experiments conducted in India and abroad. The Guidelines are, however, dynamic and would be subject to periodical revisions. Further, the Guidelines are illustrative and not exhaustive. Suitable modifications may have to be made by the Farmers while adopting the improved technologies. With great pleasure, I record my thanks to Dr. Kee-Chai Chong, Programme Coordinator, Bay of Bengal Programme, Chennai, and his staff for their valuable inputs towards publication of the Guidelines. Thanks are also due to Shri G. D. Chandrapal and other Officers and staff of the Fisheries Division, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, for their unstinted co-operation and support in preparation of the Guidelines.

Background:

The Honourable Supreme Court in its orders on the Writ Petition (Civil) No. 561 of 1994 dated 11.12.1996, held that “The Shrimp culture industry/the shrimp ponds are covered by the prohibition contained in Para 2 (1) of the CRZ Notification. No shrimp culture pond can be constructed or set up within the coastal regulation zone as defined in the CRZ Notification. This shall be applicable to all seas, bays, estuaries, creeks, rivers and backwaters. This direction shall not apply to traditional and improved traditional types of technologies as defined in Alagarswami’s Report which are practised in the coastal low lying areas”. The traditional and improved traditional systems as defined in Alagarswami’s Reports are as follows. TRADITIONAL: Fully tidal-fed; salinity variations according to monsoon regime; seed resources of mixed species from the adjoining creeks and canals by auto-stocking; dependent on natural food; water intake and drainage managed through sluice gates depending on local tidal effect; no feeding; periodic harvesting during full and new moon periods; collection at sluice gates by traps and bag nets; seasonal fields alternating paddy (monsoon) crop with shrimp/ fish crop (inter-monsoon) IMPROVED TRADITIONAL: system as above but with stock entry control, supplementary stocking with desired species of shrimps seed (Penaeus monodon and P.indicus); practised in ponds of smaller area 2-5 ha.

The Court in its Orders also permitted the farmers operating traditional and improved traditional systems of shrimp aquaculture to “adopt improved technology for increased production, productivity and return with prior approval of the Authority”.
Accordingly, the Aquaculture Authority constituted a committee comprising the following members for preparing guidelines for enabling farmers to adopt improved technology:

1	Dr. G.R.M.Rao, Director, Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture, Chennai	:	Chairman
2	Dr. Satish Chandra, Member, Aquaculture Authority 29, Doctor’s Society 4, Vasundhara Enclave, New Delhi	:	Member
3	Director of Fisheries Government of West Bengal, Calcutta	:	Member
4	Shri. V.Venkatesan, Director, Marine Products Export Development Authority, Kochi	:	Member
5	Shri G.D. Chandrapal Deputy Commissioner of Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, New Delhi	:	Member -Secretary

The terms of reference of the Committee are:

• To examine the relevant portion of the Supreme Court’s judgment dated 11.12.1996 under which the suggestion has been made by the Apex Court for adoption of improved technology for increased production and productivity from traditional and improved farming systems.

• To define the specific parameters that are considered for improved traditional systems of shrimp aquaculture.

• To specify permissible activities that can be practised by the shrimp farmers within the CRZ area under the improved technology for increasing production and productivity from traditional and improved traditional farming systems.

• To suggest the measures that are to be taken by shrimp farmers while undertaking improved technology to protect the eco-system within the framework of the Supreme Court’s judgment dated 11.12.1996.