A new salmon industrial innovation base in Lanshan district of Rizhao, is expected to significantly enhance the city's salmon farming techniques and expand aquaculture industrial chains, both of which will help bolster its marine economy.

Representing an investment of nearly 1 billion yuan ($137.1 million), the base will feature a research and development center, salmon deep processing factories, deep-sea intelligent cages, and marine farms.

Rizhao, a coastal city of East China's Shandong province has in recent years been making concerted efforts to accelerate the modernization of its fisheries sector, as well as promote the development of the breeding, aquaculture, feed production, deep processing, cold chain logistics, and offshore equipment sectors.

On Oct 30, a salmon aquaculture cage was put into use at a marine equipment industrial park in Lanshan district.

According to local officials, six such aquaculture cages will be built, making this project one of the largest of its kind in China. The project is expected to have an annual yield of 1,000 metric tons of salmon worth 100 million yuan.

Rizhao has also unveiled special plans to drive the development of the salmon industry. According to these plans, the city will establish a development demonstration zone for a comprehensive salmon supply chain.

In addition, the city will aim to achieve an annual salmon production volume of 20,000 tons and have the output value of the entire salmon industrial chain hit 8 billion yuan by 2025.