Lakshadweep, India’s sole coral atoll, boasting ten inhabited islands scattered across the Arabian Sea, faces unique economic challenges. The primary income source for the local community revolves around tuna fishing and the production of coconut-based by-products, offering limited opportunities, especially for women. Addressing this issue head-on, the ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBFGR) in Lucknow has introduced a transformative solution on Agatti Island. This solution includes a Germplasm Resource Center for marine ornamental invertebrates and community aquaculture units, which local women actively manage to cultivate marine ornamental organisms—fish, shrimp, and sea anemones—for a diversified income stream.
Exploratory surveys across various islands have unveiled previously undiscovered biodiversity, including the remarkable discovery of three new shrimp species. Furthermore, the institute has successfully standardized and expanded seed production technology under controlled conditions for two promising marine ornamental shrimps, Thor Hainanensis and Ancylocaris Brevicarpalis, marking a global first.
ICAR-NBFGR has offered hands-on training in marine ornamental rearing to the local community, with 82 islanders participating, a majority of whom are women (77 women). This training encompasses community-based aquaculture of marine ornamentals. As part of technology adoption, captive-bred shrimp seeds are supplied to beneficiaries for further nurturing in community aquaculture units. Trained women are actively involved in nurturing the young shrimps until they reach marketable size. This initiative simultaneously boosts livelihoods and contributes to the conservation of native biodiversity, presenting a unique endeavor that combines conservation and societal development through indigenous organisms.
The institute has established and supported four community aquaculture units on Agatti Island, where ornamental shrimps are successfully nurtured to marketable size, thanks to the efforts of 45 women beneficiaries. Young, one-month-old captive-raised shrimps are distributed to these beneficiaries, who nurture them for approximately 2.5 to 3 months before entering them into the market. These marketable shrimps are directly traded at a cost ranging from Rs. 175 to 200 per piece. ICAR-NBFGR project personnel, residing in Lakshadweep, diligently monitor the operations of these rearing units and provide technical guidance to beneficiaries as needed.
This innovative approach to community aquaculture of marine ornamental organisms represents a pioneering effort in India, promising new horizons in livelihood development, particularly for women, offering an alternative and sustainable income source.