Section 2 — Definitions.

2. Definitions.—(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,— 

2[(a) “aquaculture input” means any material used as an input in coastal aquaculture for the 

maintenance of quality of water and soil and for the growth and better health of organisms reared, or 

other aquatic life available, therein and includes seed, fertilizer, feed, growth supplement, probiotic, 

environment remediator and disinfectant;  

(aa) “aqua mapping” means geospatial coastal area distribution maps depicting areas potential 

and suitable for coastal aquaculture; 

(ab) “aqua zonation” means the zones of spatial planning for different species or methods of 

coastal aquaculture notified by a State Government or the Authority for sustainable coastal 

aquaculture; 

(ac) “Authority” means the Coastal Aquaculture Authority established under sub-section (1) of 

section 4; 

(ad) “biosecured facility” means a coastal aquaculture unit carrying on coastal aquaculture 

activity adopting such biosecurity measures for ensuring freedom from disease causing pathogens as 

may be specified in the guidelines issued for such activity; 

(ae) “biosecurity” means any measure or strategy or integrated approach adopted to analyse, 

manage and prevent the risk of introduction or spread of harmful organisms, including viruses and 

bacteria, within the coastal aquaculture unit and to minimise the risk of transmission of infectious 

diseases; 

(af) “Brood Stock Multiplication Centre” means a coastal aquaculture unit carrying on such 

coastal aquaculture activity which receives such post larvae or juvenile which are specific pathogen 

free or specific pathogen tolerant or specific pathogen resistant or such other post larvae or juvenile 

from a Nucleus Breeding Centre and rears it under strict biosecurity and close disease surveillance to 

ensure freedom from disease;] 

(b) “Chairperson” means the Chairperson of the Authority; 
3[(c) “coastal aquaculture” or “coastal aquaculture activity” means rearing and cultivation of any 

life stages of fish, including crustacean, mollusc, finfish, seaweed or any other aquatic life under 

controlled conditions, either indoor or outdoor, in cement cisterns, ponds, pens, cages, rafts, 

enclosures or otherwise in saline or brackish water in coastal areas, including activities such as 

production of brood stock, seed, grow out, but does not include fresh water aquaculture;  

                                                           
1.16th December, 2005, ss. 2 to 26 (both inclusive), vide notification No. S.O. 1771(E), dated 16th December, 2005, see Gazette 

of India, Extraordinary, Part II, sec. 3(ii).  

2. Subs. by Act 27 of 2023, s. 2, for clause (a) (w.e.f. 12-9-2023). 

3. Subs. by s. 2, ibid., for clause (c) (w.e.f. 12-9-2023). 



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(ca) “coastal aquaculture unit” means any facility that is engaged in coastal aquaculture or any 

allied activity connected therewith and includes Nucleus Breeding Centre, Brood Stock 

Multiplication Centre, hatchery and farm;] 
1[(d) “coastal area” means the area declared as the Coastal Regulation Zone in the Coastal 

Regulation Zone notification issued by the Central Government under the Environment (Protection) 

Act, 1986 (29 of 1986) and includes such other area as the Central Government may, by notification 

in the Official Gazette, specify;  

(da) “coastal environment” means the area of land and water in the coastal area, including 

complete system of living organisms and physical surroundings therein; 

(db) “farm” means a coastal aquaculture unit where culturing of fish, including crustacean, 

mollusc, finfish, seaweed or any other aquatic life is done under controlled conditions in ponds, pens, 

cages, rafts, enclosures or otherwise, in saline or brackish water in coastal areas and includes nursery 

rearing, but does not include fresh water aquaculture; 

(dc) “hatchery” means a coastal aquaculture unit carrying on coastal aquaculture activity of 

breeding and seed production of fish, including crustacean, mollusc, finfish, seaweed or any other 

aquatic life, in saline or brackish water and includes rearing of nauplii and live feed, but does not 

include fresh water aquaculture;] 

(e) “member” means the member of the Authority appointed under sub-section (3) of section 4 

and includes the Chairperson 2***; 
3[(ea) “Nucleus Breeding Centre” means a coastal aquaculture unit carrying on biosecured coastal 

aquaculture activity which has an established freedom from disease causing pathogens for the purpose 

of producing domesticated specific pathogen free, specific pathogen tolerant and specific pathogen 

resistant stocks; 

(eb) “operator” means any person or firm that is engaged in the operation of the coastal 

aquaculture activity; 

(ec) “owner”, in relation to any coastal aquaculture unit, includes— 

(i) his legal heirs or agent; and 

(ii) an operator, a mortgagee, lessee, including sub-lessee or any other person in actual 

possession of such coastal aquaculture unit; 

(ed) “pharmacologically active substance or antimicrobial agent” means a naturally occurring, 

semi-synthetic or synthetic substance that, at in vivo concentration, exhibits antimicrobial activity of 

killing or inhibiting the growth of microorganisms;] 

(f) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act; 

(g) “regulations” means the regulations made by the Authority under this Act. 

(2) Words and expressions used herein and not defined but defined in the Environment (Protection) 

Act, 1986 (29 of 1986) shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them in that Act. 
3[(h) “specific pathogen free” or “specific pathogen resistant” or “specific pathogen tolerant” 

means free of, resistant to, or tolerant to, such pathogens as may be listed by the World Organisation 

for Animal Health or any other pathogen notified by the Central Government, which is specific for 

candidate species used in the coastal aquaculture;  

(i) “State” includes Union territory.] 

CHAPTER II 

GENERAL POWERS OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT