Shandong, a marine economic powerhouse in East China, has been advancing the development of modern and intelligent marine ranches in the province.

This move is meant to facilitate the ecofriendly and sustainable development of the local fishing industry and build a stronger marine economy with cutting-edge technology and healthy marine ecosystems.

Bordered by the Bohai and Yellow seas, Shandong boasts 3,345 kilometers of coastline, accounting for one-sixth of the country's total, with its waters boasting an abundance of marine resources. The offshore waters of Shandong cover an area of 159,500 square kilometers.

Official data shows that the province is home to 44 national-level marine ranches, accounting for 40 percent of the country's total.

A marine ranch is a sea area in which fishermen set up large-scale fishery facilities and systematic management systems to exploit the natural marine and raise sea creatures such as fish, shrimp, shellfish, and algae.

Rongcheng Mountains Hongyuan is a national-level marine ranch in Weihai city.

"We can produce 120,000 tons of kelp, 2,000 tons of scallops, and 1,800 tons of abalone a year, and we earned 200 million yuan ($28.82 million) in revenue in 2019," said Wang Shuzhou, president of the Rongcheng Mountains Hongyuan Aquatic Products Co.

Wang said that his company has benefited greatly from the restoration and protection of marine ecology.

China's first intelligent ecological marine ranch began operating in Yantai this June. It makes use of cutting-edging technology such as 5G and AI to develop automatic intelligent equipment and carry out ecofriendly breeding.