Traditional fish farming shifts to data-driven production through scenario innovation

China's aquaculture industry is reshaping production methods by embracing data-driven technologies and scenario-based innovation in accord with the 15th Five-Year (2026–2030) Plan that prioritizes high-quality growth in the maritime economy.

In southern Guangdong Province, intelligent equipment is being deployed in real production settings, accelerating the transformation of traditional fisheries to make their operations smarter and more refined.

An offshore deep-sea aquaculture platform named "Gesheng No.1" in Zhuhai City is pioneering this shift. With a semi-submersible truss designed to stabilize against waves, the 86-meter-long platform houses 30,000 cubic meters of water for fish farming and serves as a "marine laboratory" for testing new technologies.

Among the smart facilities is a sonar device, about the size of a computer mouse, that can monitor fish schools within 100 meters underwater.

Just three such devices are enough to cover a stretch of seawater over 10 meters deep.

It is like an underwater eye that not only sees but also calculates the number of fish schools, according to a fishing specialist working on the platform. The system enables real-time monitoring and intelligent feeding, while also facilitating industry regulation and insurance.

Other innovations include underwater cameras paired with high-pressure cleaning equipment to maintain net cages remotely, replacing risky manual diving. What's more, new harvesting machines using centrifugal and vacuum suction methods allow efficient, gentle capture of live fish, reducing damage and improving product quality.

Together, these technologies, which are capable of monitoring fish, protecting nets and harvesting, demonstrate how aquaculture is moving beyond reliance on human experience.

By embedding data and intelligent equipment directly into production, scenario-driven innovation is reshaping the way marine ranches operate, pushing the industry toward standardization and modernization.

Traditional fish farming shifts to data-driven production through scenario innovation

Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party, on Thursday warned against "needless contradictions and ambiguities" that could hinder Taiwan's progress, as she continued her visit to the mainland.

Cheng made the remarks when touring the sprawling, fully automated Yangshan Port in Shanghai, where she witnessed firsthand the achievements of the Chinese mainland's high-tech and industrial development.

She commended the mainland's industrial and technological advances as well as its low-carbon transformation.

"The service industry and traditional manufacturing sector of Taiwan are facing very serious bottlenecks. Opportunities for future development can be seen in how they transform, upgrade, and integrate with AI. Cross-strait reconciliation, dialogue, exchange, and cooperation can make the most beautiful flowers bloom even in the most unlikely places. Therefore, everyone's imagination, creativity, expertise, and enthusiasm are limitless. We shouldn't let needless contradictions and ambiguities limit the steps we could take and the development we could achieve," Cheng said.

Leading a KMT delegation, Cheng embarked her six-day visit to the mainland on Tuesday, marking the first time in a decade that a KMT chairperson has led a delegation to the mainland.

Shanghai was the second leg of Cheng's trip, after she and her delegation traveled to Nanjing, the provincial capital of Jiangsu in the east.

On delegation, the delegation visited the Shanghai headquarters of the food delivery giant Meituan, where they experienced drone-based delivery services that offered a glimpse into the mainland's rapidly developing smart economy.

On Thursday morning, Cheng and her delegation also toured the Shanghai Aircraft Design and Research Institute under the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd., manufacturer of domestically-developed aircraft including the C919 passenger jet.

The delegation departed Shanghai for Beijing on Thursday afternoon.

Needless contradictions should not limit Taiwan's potential: KMT chairwoman