The fisheries and aquaculture sectors have been increasingly recognized for their essential contribution to global food security and nutrition in the twenty-first century. Further expansion of this contribution requires the acceleration of transformative changes in policy, management, innovation and investment to achieve sustainable and equitable global fisheries and aquaculture. Kerala has a large potential in aquaculture, which is untapped. India is the second largest aquaculture economy but the adoption of technology is very limited and this has resulted in lower productivity in farmers and wider diseases in aqua production. Entrepreneurship development in rural farming activities like fish farming is the best possible alternative to find employment avenues for the rural population, especially for small scale farmers and farm youths in rural development. Kerala is filled with abundant brackish and freshwater resources. The estimated inland water area is 16,000 ha and brackish water is about 65,213 ha out of which 14,875 ha are only developed for aquaculture practices. About 2.22 lakh fisher folk are dependent upon those water resources for their livelihood, out of which 90% are small holding farmers involved in this activity. Kerala inland production is 2 lakh tonnes from water bodies. Kerala has gone potential to improve its share in the aqua farming space and contribute to aquaculture exports from India.

Aquaculture, Entrepreneurship, Rural farming