Seaweed exploitation in India

Data on the quantity of seaweeds harvested from the natural seaweed beds of Tamil Nadu coast were collected at monthly intervals from different landing centres for a period of 4 years from 1996 to 1999. During this period, the quantity of agar yielding seaweeds viz. Gelidiella acerosa, Gracilaria edulis, G. crassa and G. foliifera varied from 746 to 1296 tonnes (dry wt) and that of algin yielding seaweeds Sargassum spp., Turbinaria spp. and Cysroseira trinodis varied from 1884 to 3817 tonnes (dry wt) per year. From the data on collection of seaweeds from the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay, commercial harvest is suggested only during their peak growth period from July 1 August to January every year. The harvest of commercially important seaweeds in a rational way from other parts of the Indian coast and also from Lakshadweep and Andaman - Nicobar islands is recommended. The necessity for starting large scale cultivation of seaweeds particularly agarophytes is also emphasised for successful running of Indian seaweed industries.