Andaman Islands See Launch of India’s First Marine Farming
North Bay Hosts First Cage-Based Marine Fish Project
Sri Vijaya Puram: Union Minister of State for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr Jitendra Singh, launched India’s first open-sea marine fish farming project today at North Bay, Sri Vijaya Puram, in the Andaman Sea. He described the initiative as one of the first steps towards India’s Blue Economy, a concept repeatedly emphasised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Dr Singh said that India’s oceans, like its Himalayan and mainland resources, hold economic potential that remained largely underexplored for nearly seventy years after Independence. He stated, “After 70 Years of Neglect, India Recognises the Economic Power of Its Oceans Under Modi Government,” and added that the government is “taking technology to the sea” and “Government Taps India’s Maritime Wealth, Equal to the Himalayas and Mainland, to Boost Livelihoods.”
Officials said the Ministry of Earth Sciences, the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), and the Union Territory Administration of Andaman and Nicobar Islands are implementing the project. The pilot initiative focuses on open-sea cultivation of marine finfish and seaweed under natural ocean conditions and integrates scientific innovation with livelihood generation.
Also read: Govt Flags Blue Economy in Andamans Amid Legal Review
Dr Jitendra Singh added that while the project is currently government-led, future scaling through public–private partnerships could be considered depending on feasibility assessments.
During the field visit, Dr Jitendra Singh initiated two “major” livelihood-oriented interventions. He handed seaweed seeds to local fishing communities for deep-water seaweed cultivation in the open sea. He also provided finfish seeds for cage-based cultivation using NIOT-developed open-sea cages designed for natural ocean conditions. Officials said these interventions aim to combine local participation with technical guidance, though no assessment of outcomes has yet been reported.
The Minister later visited the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park near Wandoor, established in 1983 and spread across 15 islands, including Jolly Buoy and Red Skin. He observed the park’s marine ecosystem, including coral reefs, mangroves, and diverse marine life such as turtles and a wide variety of fish species.
According to government sources, the North Bay project is India’s first large-scale attempt at cage-based marine fish farming in the Andaman Sea. Officials said the initiative intends to involve coastal and island communities as active partners in India’s ocean-led economic growth and apply scientific research to marine resource management.
– global bihari bureau
