India Launches First Open-Sea Marine Fish Farming Project In Andaman's North Bay, Marking Major Push For Blue Economy

Union Minister Jitendra Singh inaugurated India's first open-sea marine fish farming project at North Bay in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands today (18 January), marking a significant milestone in the country's blue economy ambitions.

The initiative represents a pioneering effort to harness the untapped potential of India's maritime resources through advanced aquaculture techniques in natural ocean conditions.

The project involves cultivating seabass and cobia in open-sea cages alongside experimental seaweed farming.

Developed through collaboration between the Ministry of Earth Sciences, the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), and regional authorities, the pilot programme aims to integrate scientific advancements with local livelihood expansion whilst promoting sustainable marine practices.

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands possess an exclusive economic zone of 6.60 lakh square kilometres, representing one-third of India's total EEZ.

The region holds a marine fisheries potential of 1.48 lakh tonnes, including 60,000 tonnes specifically for tuna fisheries.

The government has notified a Tuna Cluster for the islands, focusing on deep-sea tuna fishing, onboard processing facilities, and sea cage culture development.

During his visit, Singh reviewed several initiatives including open sea cage culture demonstrations for marine fishermen and seaweed cultivation programmes.

He emphasised that technology transfer for these projects has already been completed, allowing for immediate implementation.

The minister highlighted that India's future economic value addition will increasingly come from untapped marine resources as the country progresses towards becoming a developed nation by 2047.

The fisheries sector received record budgetary support of Rs 2,703.67 crore in the 2025-26 Union Budget, reflecting a 3.3 per cent increase from the previous year.

The budget targets approximately 2.5 lakh tonnes of untapped fisheries potential in the Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands combined, with special focus on sustainable harnessing of exclusive economic zone and high seas resources.

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