Puducherry to get 14 artificial reefs along its coastline to enhance fish breeding

Puducherry to erect 14 artificial reefs to facilitate fish breeding, improve livelihoods of traditional fishermen. CMFRI to deploy 131 reefs in TN, 400 planned this year. Reefs to be placed 5 nautical miles from shore, wave-breaking zone. Over 300 species to coexist in settled artificial reef habitat.

The Puducherry government and the Central Marine Fisheries Institute (CMFRI), Visakhapatnam have planned to erect artificial reefs along the Union Territory’s coastline to facilitate fish breeding along the coast, and to also help traditional fishermen to improve their livelihoods.

An artificial reef is a sheltered human-built structure, placed on the seabed as a substitute for natural habitats. With a fixed scientific design, it functions as a self-sustaining production system on the seabed.

The project will be executed under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) at an estimated cost of ₹4.34 crore at the rate of ₹31 lakh for each reef. The project will be 100% funded by the Centre.

The plan is to erect 14 artificial reefs along the Puducherry coastline this year, and subsequently, to add another 25 reefs next year. The project will be then extended based on the U.T.’s requirement.

According to Joe K. Kizhakudan, principal scientist and Head of CMFRI, Vishakapatnam, who is the consultant and principal head-cum-investigator of the national programme on artificial reefs, “CMFRI has been experimenting with artificial reefs in several States and has completed about 131 reefs in Tamil Nadu over the last 15 years. The results have already proven successful, and more than 400 reefs have been planned across Tamil Nadu this year.”

He went on to explain: “This reef is an artificial structure and creates the natural prevention of ground flow and helps invertebrates and small larvae to aggregate. They get shelter, and build a colony or a primary settlement and provide the base for propagation of resident populations within sheltered structures. This is an effect of ecosystem building, and this model has been used in several parts of the world including France, Italy, Japan and the U.S.”

A team of officials led by Mr. Kizhakudan inspected coastal hamlets of Kalapet, Periya Kalapet, Chinna Kalapet, Ganapathychettikulam and Pillaichavady on Monday, November 27, 2023, and held stakeholder workshops providing a platform to educate and engage fishermen about the potential of artificial reefs in transforming the marine fishing landscape in the U.T.