Key Highlights The negative effects of oil spills do not halt with the local flora and fauna, which is often showcased, but instead extend deep up the food chain, and where a disaster reaches the food chain, it also reaches humans. Policy regulations can be made to ensure that fishing of a certain species or in certain areas is banned for the time following an oil spill to ensure the safety of consumers. The international trade of fish and shrimp may also be suspended, leading to massive GDP losses for those countries that bank on this aspect of trade. Effective UDA strategies that complement the three pillars of UDA applications – Policy, Technology and Innovation, and Human Resource Development- could train professionals to deal with oil spillages and ensure a professional clean-up and recovery standard. With the UDA’s strong confluence of scientific intervention and policy recommendations, the issue of oil spillages and their aftermath is one that the UDA can manage effectively. Introduction Both large and small oil spills have become a recurring environmental nightmare that devastates marine ecosystems and disrupts aquatic life. It does not end there either, as even humans can be directly or much more commonly indirectly affected by these oil disasters. When these oil spills are covered by the news, we commonly get to see the immediate aftermath that it has on the surrounding ecosystem, such as pictures of birds covered in oil and too heavy to fly. The negative effects of these oil spills do not halt with the local flora and fauna, which is often showcased, but instead extend deep up the food chain, and where a disaster reaches the food chain, it also reaches humans. The economic impact of an oil spill is very costly and commonly costs way more than the settlement that is paid by the corporations that let the oil spill happen. This article explores the intricate web of effects that oil spills have on marine life, the subsequent impact on humans, and the imperative need for preventative measures and efficient cleanup strategies. “The UDA Framework proposed by the Maritime Research Center, Pune, is a multidimensional approach that surrounds four stakeholders, one of which is environmental regulators, to ensure the conservation of the marine environment.” This article will explore how the UDA framework emerges as important in assisting the mitigation of the man-made disaster of oil spills that hampers marine biosystems and other cascading effects that will be explored further. Effects of Oil Spills on Marine and Avian Life The effects of these massive ecological disasters can be divided into two parts, the first part being the immediate effects of the spill and the second being the long-term impact of the oil spill on the marine life in the area and the local species’ recoveries. The most visible result of the effects of oil spills on animals is the animals we observe covered in oil. This commonly happens to birds that land on oil-covered water surfaces, but it can also happen to aquatic mammals that come up to breathe. When these animals get covered in oil, their fur and feathers insulating properties significantly decrease, leading to hypothermia. It also handicaps a bird’s ability to fly and chokes out the mammals that are trying to breathe. And it’s not just the mammals that need to come up to the surface to breathe that suffer. The fish and other small organisms that exist under the oil layer can also struggle to breathe due to the oil layer restricting oxygen exchange along the ocean’s surface. Hence, marine and avian biodiversity are impacted negatively. These can be some of the short-term effects or some immediate effects resulting from the oil that floats on the ocean surface. It is also possible, however, for oil to travel down to the ocean floor and settle as sediment that covers the seabed, including all of the plants and coral that exist there. Oil is lighter than water, so usually, it should only float on the top of the surface. This is true, and most of the oil does end up at the surface, but water columns, which reduce pressure in the water, can help oil travel down with the current, smothering coral reefs and other life on the seabed in the process (Gilbert, 2021). “The following picture was retrieved from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, the largest oil spill of recent times occurring due to an industrial disaster.” Figure 1. Sediment cores from the seabed preserve evidence of settled oil on the seafloor of the Gulf of Mexico (Gilbert, 2021) These detrimental effects on marine life can impact the local ecosystem’s biodiversity and reduce the ecosystem’s ability to recover. Further long-term effects of the oil spill will also hinder the ecosystem’s survivability, such as the toxic hydrocarbons that are released from the oil that poison the fish living in the ocean. Here, we must monitor what species of fish are affected, the current and flow of the ocean, and the extent of the toxic exposure to establish how far the toxicity has spread. For this, the UDA framework becomes integral as it directly informs the scientific intervention necessary for mapping this requirement during an oil spill disaster. Cascading Effects on Humans and the Economy Toxicity does not only spread between one species of fish. It can also contaminate other species of fish due to the accumulation of toxins when the fish are eaten by other fish higher up in the food chain. This food chain contamination is of great importance to humans, as we need to ensure that fish containing toxins are not consumed. Policy regulations can be made to ensure that fishing of a certain species or in certain areas is banned for the time following an oil spill to ensure the safety of consumers. However, the larger point is that an avenue of human sustenance essentially turns contaminated. If humans were to consume these contaminated fish, they could develop various

Key Highlights Aquaculture and Agriculture can go hand in hand, boosting the overall cultivation sector. In India, aquaculture requires huge investment in terms of skill assistance for the farmers, as most of the population of farmers are unfamiliar with cultivation procedures. Technology can reduce the guesstimates involved in cultivation methods and provide accurate estimates. Uplifting poor sections of society can be done by opening new job opportunities and aquaculture is one such industry to go with. Economic Demography of India ‘Without farmers, no country can progress’ Such a statement is strictly true for a country with a significantly high contribution from farming activities to the nation’s GDP. Agriculture is the dominant sector of India, in terms of the number of citizens involved directly or indirectly with agricultural activities. Not only in economic terms (Gross Domestic Product) but also Agriculture is supporting India socially by providing a stable source of income to more than 50% of India’s current workforce. It is an important point to ponder upon how the climatic variabilities and climate change are going to affect the agriculture sector and what will be the short-term and long-term impacts of such scenarios. To mitigate such effects, by reducing the dependence on only agriculture, aquaculture and/or aquafarming provides a wide range of opportunities in Indian waters and have the potential that can be harnessed to diversify crops to aquatic plants and marine creatures. Aquaculture involves the cultivation of marine plants and animals (creatures) for further processing in various value-added products (for example the use of seaweeds in pharmaceuticals) and/or for human consumption (for example the use of Shrimps in human delicacies). Developing a complete aquaculture Industry supports women’s empowerment, farmers’ support, ample employment opportunities, and a diversified raw material sector. Let’s look at some of the case studies that cover how rural communities adapting to aquaculture helped them sail smoothly on the way leading to prosperous lives and healthy community relations. Figure depicting the Blue economy of aquaculture, or the economy around waters, and farming of aquatic lives. Fig src: https://www.globalseafood.org/advocate/the-blue-dimensions-of-aquaculture/ Social Prospects associated with aquaculture Social inclusion and empowerment: By giving underrepresented groups, such as women and young people, the chance to participate in farming operations, aquaculture can foster social inclusion. Aquaculture can be advantageous for women in particular because many of the duties involved are compatible with their strengths and skills. Social obstacles can be removed and marginalized groups can gain power through increased participation in aquaculture, resulting in more inclusive and equitable communities. Aquaculture projects frequently entail community participation and cooperation, which promotes community development. Farmers get together to share resources, trade information, and work as a team to solve problems. This cooperation encourages social cohesion among farmers and builds a sense of community. The Case Studies of Indian Farmers Orrisa, India The case study of a rural area Kodalguri, orissa is a prime example of how aquaculture has transformed the lives of farmers and socially and economically uplifted them. The city of Kodalguri is in the Khariar block and is 80 Km away from the (nearest) Nuapada district headquarters. The city is dominated by the tribal people, looking for a stable source of jobs and income. The project launched to initiate aquaculture farming in the city showed the following optimistic results: Given that most homes now receive fish through free distribution as well as purchase, fish consumption has significantly increased as of late. Fish was offered to the villagers at a 20% discount, which was considerably less than the market price. Consequently, the household fish intake has increased from roughly 2 kg per capita to 6 kg per capita per year as a result of the improvement in fish output. About 25% of the village’s total income was made available to the people as net income from aquaculture. The program’s formation of a 14-member fishing group whose primary source of income is fish catching was a noteworthy accomplishment. They were now regularly engaged in fishing across numerous villages. Also, about 10 unemployed youngsters in the hamlet have started selling fish as routine harvesting operations, allowing them to sell fish by bicycle in the outlying villages. Each person traded 25 to 30 kg of fish per day, making between Rs 300 and Rs 400 in profit, which is a substantial amount for them, considering their earlier income irregularities. Such success depicts that an investment in terms of education to tribal families can bring prosperity to their lives. There is a lot of potential in these tribal people that can be harnessed for their own and their country’s benefit. Assam, India Assam, a part of the seven sisters (the name for the cluster of northeastern states of India) has a subtropical climate and abundant aquatic bodies to support aquaculture. Despite the availability of the above-mentioned vast aquatic resources, the share of the state to total fisheries production is not up to the mark comparatively. To address the low production and achieve higher economic security, A pilot project was launched with a group of tribal farmers, who were resource-poor and not having a stable source of income. The study of their economic status revealed that more than 80% of the participating farmers were leaving below the poverty line (BPL). Figure showing how over the next decade the exports percentage is going to increase. To cater to the demand, it is important to maintain production levels as per the desired targets Src: https://ariesagro.com/rise-of-aqua-culture-in-india/ Aquaculture and economic prospects It is not hard to argue how the development of any industry supports not only the growth of the nation but also benefits the citizens of the nation. This growth phenomenon is interleaved and positively supports each other. The immense opportunities associated with aquaculture in terms of economic returns can be justified by the following points: Ensuring Food production and security: Aquaculture plays a vital role in meeting the growing demand for seafood products. As wild fish stocks face increasing pressure from overfishing and environmental factors, aquaculture provides a sustainable and reliable source