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China

Across China: "Flower" on the sea blossoms as marine industry in full bloom

2022-08-19 15:04:03

JINAN, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- About 2 km off the coast of Yantai City, in east China's Shandong Province, a gigantic "flower" appears above sea level.

But after staring at it for a while, visitors will soon realize that its three "petals" are actually circular cages 40 meters in diameter. With fish darting about inside, the "flower," or the "Genghai No.1" marine ranching complex, can raise 200,000 high quality saltwater fish every year. Its annual output can reach about 150,000 kg.

Supported by a hydraulic piling system, Genghai No.1 can stand firmly in the forbidding waters and withstand up to level 14 wind, fiercer than hurricanes. The platform is also equipped with automatic feeding equipment. The breeders can set the feeding time and the amount of fish feed, while the machinery can automatically adjust the position and amount of fish feed according to the real-time wind direction, water flow and other conditions.

Beyond fish breeding, the "flower" is more than just bloodless machinery, but a sought-after entertainment destination for tourists. Each of its "petals" boasts around 10,000 cubic meters of fish breeding space, while 60 seats are set on the "petals" for fishing lovers.

After a day's exhausting fishing, visitors can enjoy seafood while watching films about marine culture and science at the center of the "flower." The seemingly omnipotent Genghai No.1 is designed to receive 50,000 visitors annually.

During the three-day 2022 China Marine Economic Forum held this month in Yantai, marine economy and relevant science and technologies drew great attention from attendees and experts. Currently, a new round of marine scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation is underway around the globe, making marine science and technology a major field of competition among major countries, according to the forum.

China has stepped up its efforts in leading marine science and technology innovations, said Wu Lixin, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

In Yantai alone, 18 national marine ranching complexes just like Genghai No.1 are integrating marine aquaculture with multiple business models including processing, tourism, scientific research, wind power and photovoltaic power.

In the first half of this year, China's gross marine product totaled 4.2 trillion yuan (about 620 billion U.S. dollars), up 1.2 percent year on year, according to official data released by the Ministry of Natural Resources.

China's emerging marine industries have shown robust development momentum, as 57.7 percent of enterprises in such industries achieved year-on-year growth in operating income during the period, while 67.7 percent expected annual growth in operating income, according to the data. 

Editor:Jiang Yiwei