Seaweed cultivation, as a diversification activity in mariculture, has tremendous potential all along the Indian coast. Seaweeds are rich in vitamins and minerals and are consumed as food in various parts of the world and used for the production of phytochemicals, viz., agar, carrageenan and alginate, which are widely employed as gelling, stabilizing and thickening agents in several industries of food, confectionery, pharmaceutical, dairy, textile, paper, paint, etc. In India, seaweeds are used as raw materials for the production of agar, alginate and liquid seaweed fertilizer (LSF). There are a few agar industries, algin industries and LSF industries situated at different places in the maritime states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. The red algae Gelidiella acerosa, Gracilaria edulis, G. crassa, G. foliifera and G. verrucosa are used for agar manufacture and brown algae Sargassum spp., Turbinaria spp. and Cystoseira trinodis for the production of alginates an d liquid seaweed fertilizer. The quantity of seaweeds exploited is inadequate to meet the raw material requirement of Indian seaweed industries. Seaweeds such as Gracilaria edulis, Hypnea musciformis, Kappaphycus alvarezii, Enteromorpha flexuosa and Acanthophora spicifera can be successfully cultivated in long-line ropes and nets by vegetative propagation method. This activity has a potential to provide income and employment to about 200,000 families. Components of Assistance The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) aims to bring about Blue Revolution through sustainable and responsible development of fisheries sector in India. The Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) Component supports the following components to support Seaweed cultivation: Training and demonstration Establishment of seaweed processing units Eligibile beneficiaries Fishers, fish farmers, workers, vendors, SHGs, Joint Liability Groups (JLGs) in fisheries sector. Fisheries Development corporations, cooperatives, federations, Entrepreneurs and private firms Fish Farmers Producer Organizations/Companies (FFPOs/Cs) Pattern of Assistance Sl. No. Name of the Activity/Scheme Unit Cost Pattern of assistance A Establishment of Seaweed culture rafts including inputs (per raft). Rs 0.015 lakh/unit General category - 40 %; SC/ST/Women - 60 % B Establishment of Seaweed culture with onoline/tubenet Method including inputs (one unit is approximately equal to 15 ropes of 25m length) Rs 0.08 lakh/unit General category - 40 %; SC/ST/Women - 60 % Source: National Fisheries Development Board