China turns cargo ship into giant floating fish farm in bid to boost food security

CHINA – The government of China has converted a massive cargo ship into a floating fish farm capable of producing 2,800 tonnes of fish annually, a move that marks a new frontier in the nation’s ambitious “marine bread basket” strategy.

The vessel, formerly an 80,000-deadweight-tonne bulk carrier, has been refitted into a mobile aquaculture facility by a subsidiary of the state-owned China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC). 

Renamed Zhe Dai Yu Yang 60001, the ship now features seven seawater breeding chambers housed in what used to be its cargo hatches, capable of holding a total of 80,000 cubic metres of seawater.

“This is an innovative practice by CSSC to empower marine development with technology and strengthen the ‘marine bread basket’,” the company said in a press release issued Monday.

A floating solution to feeding a nation

The transformation is part of a wider national effort to address growing pressure on local fish stocks caused by China’s vast population and soaring demand for seafood. With climate change and geopolitical tensions increasingly threatening global food supply chains, Beijing is prioritising self-sufficiency by expanding aquaculture into open waters.

CSSC has been spearheading the initiative to convert ageing ships into seawater-exchange aquaculture vessels since 2017. According to the shipbuilder, the retrofit of Zhe Dai Yu Yang 60001 took just three months to complete.

The vessel’s owner, Senhai Muge Zhejiang Marine Technology, confirmed this was the company’s first mobile fish farm and said operations would begin next month. “This is our first vessel, and we plan to have another four within the next three years,” the company said.

Designed for year-round operation, the floating farm will be deployed in northern waters during summer and will relocate to southern waters in winter, making it a flexible and mobile food production unit.

A billion-dollar industry in the making

The project may be the first of many. CSSC estimates that there are at least 1,500 decommissioned vessels, both in China and abroad, that could be converted for similar aquaculture use. 

If scaled up, the initiative could grow into a new industry worth as much as 100 billion yuan (US$14 billion), the company said.

Government support for such projects is also strong. Last year, China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Natural Resources issued guidelines supporting marine farming innovation while emphasising the protection of aquatic ecosystems.

Recent data from the Ministry of Natural Resources shows that in the first quarter of 2025, China’s marine aquaculture output rose by 5.7% year on year, contributing to a 4.5% overall increase in marine aquatic product output.

“The role of marine aquaculture in ensuring stable production and supply continues to become more evident,” the ministry stated.

Sign up HERE to receive our email newsletters with the latest news updates and insights from Africa and the World, and follow us on our WhatsApp channel for updates.