Sanya Accelerates Fisheries Modernization with Deep-Sea Aquaculture and Intelligent Platforms

HAIKOU, June 15. /TASS/. The Chinese resort city of Sanya in the southern province of Hainan is accelerating the modernization of its fisheries sector, focusing on deep-sea aquaculture, the development of its own breeding capabilities, and the deployment of intelligent offshore platforms. According to the Sanya Daily newspaper, the industry is becoming one of the key drivers of growth in the city’s agricultural economy.

The development of the marine sector is being carried out under Hainan province’s marine economy development plan for 2026-2030. The document outlines a strategy for building a “new maritime Hainan” and increasing the marine economy’s contribution to the province’s gross regional product to more than 45% by 2030 and over 50% by 2035.

According to local authorities, the value of Sanya’s fisheries industry output reached 2.84 bln yuan (around $395 mln at the current exchange rate) in 2025, accounting for nearly 20% of the city’s combined agricultural, forestry, livestock, and fisheries production. In the first quarter of 2026, aquatic product output rose to 19,500 metric tons, while the sector recorded the highest growth rate among all segments of the agricultural economy.

Marine aquaculture has been developing particularly rapidly. Between January and March, output approached 7,000 metric tons, increasing by more than 30% compared with the same period last year. By the end of the first half of the year, authorities expect marine aquaculture production to exceed 10,000 metric tons.

To support enterprises, the city allocated approximately 8 mln yuan ($1.1 mln) in subsidies for the purchase of raw materials for the industry. According to local authorities, the funding will help generate additional output valued at approximately 160 mln yuan ($22 mln).

Major projects

The commissioning of the Xinhuan-1 semi-submersible intelligent platform, construction of which has been completed in the waters off Sanya, will be one of the largest projects in the sector. The facility is considered China’s largest offshore aquaculture platform of its kind. It measures 135 meters in length, 30 meters in width, and 20.5 meters in height, while its total aquaculture capacity reaches 64,000 cubic meters.

The platform includes five main cultivation zones, 32 production sections, and 24 fry-rearing pools. Annual output is expected to range between 1 mln and 2 mln kilograms of fish. The complex is equipped with intelligent monitoring and management systems and is capable of operating under conditions of severe storms and typhoons.

Sanya authorities are also placing particular emphasis on the development of breeding technologies. Research is being conducted at the city’s scientific centers and research platforms on the artificial propagation and genetic improvement of marine fish and shrimp species, including groupers, golden pompano, and Pacific white shrimp. These projects are intended to reduce dependence on external supplies of juvenile stock and strengthen the region’s food security.

Sanya has now established a complete production chain encompassing breeding, cultivation, processing, and marketing of aquatic products. A key component of this system is the Yazhou Central Fishing Port, the first national fisheries infrastructure hub in Hainan province, equipped with cold-storage facilities, ice-making installations, and a seafood trading center.

According to local authorities, the continued development of deep-sea aquaculture and marine breeding technologies is expected to become one of the principal drivers of growth for Hainan’s marine economy in the coming years.