Parliament passes Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Bill, jail term replaced with penalty

After the Rajya Sabha passed the Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023, by a voice vote on Wednesday, the government may soon notify it to decriminalise the offences committed in carrying out coastal aquaculture activities and ensure ease of doing business. It was passed in the Lok Sabha on August 7.

It seeks to remove jail term of up to three years and impose only a penalty of up to ₹1 lakh.

Replying to the debate on the Bill in Rajya Sabha, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Parshottam Rupala said: “Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, India will have blue revolution which will take the fisherman community ahead.” India has already benefitted from green revolution and white revolution, he said.

The Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Bill seeks to expand the scope, remove regulatory gaps and reduce the compliance burden without diluting environmental protection rules in the coastal areas, the ministry said. It has empowered the Authority to appoint Committees which can contain experts, stake holders and public representatives for the efficient discharge of its duties and performance of its functions under the law.

The Coastal Aquaculture Authority will be henceforth more responsive to the needs of the stakeholders, and promote newer forms of environment-friendly coastal aquaculture like cage culture and seaweed culture, and usher in global best practices in this sector, including mapping and zonation of aquaculture areas, quality assurance and safe aquaculture products.

The bill also seeks to encourage the establishment of facilities in areas having direct access to seawater to produce genetically improved and disease-free broodstocks and seed for use in coastal aquaculture besides preventing the use of antibiotics and pharmacologically active substances, which are harmful to human health in coastal aquaculture.

The amended law, once notified and came into effect, the registration granted under it shall prevail and be treated as valid permission under Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification with the express intention of enabling lakhs of small marginal aquaculture farmers to avoid the possible need for obtaining CRZ clearances from multiple agencies.

These activities also have the potential for generating huge revenue and creating large scale employment opportunities for coastal fisher communities especially fisherwoman, the ministry of fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying said in a statement.

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