Sustainable intensification in seaweed cultivation holds significant promise in addressing key sustainable development goals (SDGs), reduced land use resources, food security and gender inclusivity in coastal community development. Seaweed farming has emerged as a climate-resilient practice that not only provides ecological benefits, but also serves as a sustainable livelihood option for vulnerable coastal communities. Through Seaweed Mission, the government aims to boost seaweed production in the potential area from 30,000 tons to 11 million tons by 2025. Recent estimates by ICAR-CMFRI indicate that marine fisheries operations in India (across mechanized, motorized, and indigenous sectors) emit an average of 1.52 kg CO₂ (0.415 C) equivalent per kilogram of fish landed. According to a recent fish landing report by ICAR-CMFRI for 2023, Gujarat recorded a total fish landing of 822,786 tonnes, resulting in the release of approximately 12 Lakh tonnes of CO₂ and 5 Lakh tonnes of carbon. As per the scientific studies one hundred kilograms of seaweed can store approximately 2.72 kgs of carbon. Based on this data, an estimated production of 19 million tonnes of seaweed on an annual basis can offset the carbon emissions generated by fishing activities in Gujarat. According to recent ICAR-CMFRI estimates, approximately 2,796 hectares of coastal area in the Kutch region are suitable for seaweed farming. Based on a deployment capacity of 500 rafts per hectare, this area has the potential to accommodate nearly 1.4 million rafts. At this scale, seaweed cultivation has carbon storage potential of approximately 6,245 Megagrams of carbon per cultivation cycle. In contrast, mangrove forests typically store an average of 355.25 Megagrams of carbon per hectare. Accordingly, a single cultivation cycle of seaweed across the entire suitable farming area in the Kutch region can store carbon equivalent to that stored in approximately 17.5 hectares of mangrove forest. With its high productivity, shorter growth cycles and suitable farming areas, seaweed cultivation presents a more efficient alternative for blue carbon storage and coastal afforestation strategies. Seaweed farming offers a wide range of employment opportunities including cultivation, harvesting, processing, research, and sales. These roles include on-site farm workers, extraction assistants, scientists, quality control managers, and marketing professionals within the global seaweed industry. According to the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), the cultivation of 26,000 hectares of Kappaphycus alvarezii and Gracillaria seaweed by 2030 has the potential to generate an estimated 108,300 full-time employment opportunities. This data will assist policymakers for effective decision making and provide recommendations for the implementation of sustainable practices. This carbon storage has significant implications for future evaluations of the Net Zero concept, carbon sequestration, and climate change mitigation.
Keywords – Blue Carbon, Climate change mitigation, Net Zero concept, Seaweed Mission