India launches first open-sea marine fish farming project in Andaman Sea

Exam-focused facts from the 19 January 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

The pilot project focuses on the open-sea cultivation of marine finfish and seaweed under natural ocean conditions, combining scientific innovation with livelihood generation.
The project is being implemented through a collaborative effort involving the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India, its technical arm the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), and the Union Territory Administration of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Under the marine flora component, seaweed seeds were handed over to local fishing communities to encourage deep-water seaweed cultivation in the open sea.
Under the marine fauna component, finfish seeds were provided for cage-based farming, using NIOT-developed open-sea cages specifically designed to operate in natural oceanic environments.