World's first 150,000-DWT offshore fish farming vessel to go operational in 2025

The world's first 150,000-deadweight tonnage (DWT) smart aquaculture vessel Guoxin 2-1, a floating fish farm, is under construction in Qingdao City of east China's Shandong Province, and set to be operational in 2025.

The mega vessel measures 245 meters in length and 45 meters in width. It has 15 breeding cabins, each larger than two standard swimming pools. As a sister ship of "Guoxin 1", "Guoxin 2-1" has carried out more than 160 optimizations and innovations in terms of functional layout and new energy utilization.

Guoxin 1 has sailed for nearly 14,000 nautical miles to the Yellow Sea, East China Sea and South China Sea where different fish can be cultivated in their ideal temperatures and produced 2,700 tons of yellow croakers since its launch in May 2022.

"While retaining the hoisting method, we have employed an approach of side entry to send fish fry into the cabin. Holes are added on ship's side so that the fish fry can be directly transported to the breeding cabins, which greatly improves the efficiency and also reduces the damage rate," said Tian Neidong, a project director of Guoxin China Shipbuilding Qingdao Marine Technology.

In order to realize intelligent fish farming, the tanks are centrally controlled. Operations on board the ship are monitored with underwater cameras, sensors and a self-feeding system, as well as connectivity with the company's shore-based offices to monitor the fish.

The fish rearing density in the tanks is four to six times higher than in traditional aquaculture cages and the aquaculture cycle is shortened by 30 percent. In addition, the fish survival rate and the rate of weight gain are also increased.

"We have installed more than 2,000 sensors in various areas of the ship, which can transmit different data such as water temperature, water quality, and oxygen content in the breeding cabins to the monitoring room in real time, and then transmit it to the shore-based monitoring center through the ship-shore integrated system, realizing the interconnection between the aquaculture vessels and the land, and among the aquaculture ships," said Tian.

World's first 150,000-DWT offshore fish farming vessel to go operational in 2025

China opposes the use or threat of force in international relations, opposes imposing one's own will on others, and opposes a return of the world to the "law of the jungle," Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during a phone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Thursday.

During the call, Araghchi briefed Wang on the latest developments in Iran, saying the recent unrest was incited by external forces and that the situation has now returned to stability.

Saying that Iran has made preparations to respond to external interference while keeping the door wide open to dialog, Araghchi expressed hope that China would play a greater role in promoting regional peace and stability.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that China consistently upholds the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law, opposes the use or threat of force in international relations, opposes imposing one's own will on others, and opposes a return of the world to the "law of the jungle."

He said that the Chinese side believes the Iranian government and people will stay united, overcome difficulties, maintain national stability, and safeguard their legitimate rights and interests.

Wang also called on all parties to cherish peace, exercise restraint, and resolve differences through dialog, adding that China is willing to play a constructive role in this regard.

Chinese, Iranian FMs have phone conversation