Innovative vessel in Guangdong signals new era sea farming

The world's first natural waterbody exchange aquaculture vessel, Wan Qu Ling Ding, was successfully launched on Tuesday in Jiangmen, Guangdong province, marking a major step forward in China's deep-sea aquaculture industry.

Dubbed a "breeding aircraft carrier" and a "deep-sea granary", the vessel represents a new era of technology-driven sea farming and is expected to help Zhuhai, Guangdong, become a regional marine hub, according to a statement by the Zhuhai government.

The vessel, measuring 155.8 meters in length and 44 meters in width, features 12 independent breeding compartments and a breeding water capacity of about 80,000 cubic meters — equivalent to 32 standard swimming pools. Its annual fish production is estimated at 3,000 to 5,000 metric tons, comparable to a land-based fishpond covering more than 3.33 million square meters.