FUZHOU, March 21 (Xinhua) -- The First FAO-CFA Joint International Conference on Sustainable Aquaculture took place in Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian Province in east China, from Wednesday to Friday. The conference emphasized China's commitment to green transformation and intelligent upgrades in aquaculture.

Along the southeastern coast of China, fish and shrimp are being raised in multi-story facilities, with the water reuse rate exceeding 90 percent through water-saving practice, wastewater treatment and recycling.

In parts of Guangze County in Fujian, rice paddies are being used to co-cultivate fish, shrimp and crabs, creating a mutually beneficial system that allows for dual harvests from the same field. The model has helped reduce pesticide use and significantly boosted farmers' incomes.

Cases like these impressed participants from home and abroad, showcasing China's determination to develop an eco-friendly and low-carbon aquaculture industry.

The efforts toward sustainability are also observed by foreign experts. Yeong Yik Sung, a professor of the Institute of Climate Adaptation and Marine Biotechnology at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, noted that China implements multi-trophic aquaculture along the Yellow Sea coastline. By cultivating seaweed, shellfish, and fish together in a single ecosystem, the system cleverly recycles nitrogen and phosphorus.

These are the success of China in promoting sustainable aquaculture that could be disseminated and emulated by governments worldwide, said Yeong.

From site selection and planning, regional layout, and farming operations, to harvesting techniques, post-harvest handling and waste reduction, China has put in place a series of exemplary measures, according to Belemane Semoli, chief director of aquaculture development and inland fisheries in South Africa.

"China has always placed sustainability at the core while driving the industry growth," added Semoli.

In 2025, China's aquaculture production reached over 63 million tonnes, accounting for about 56 percent of the global output. The entire fishing industry generated 3.4 trillion yuan (about 493.5 billion U.S. dollars) and provided employment for tens of millions of people across the full production chain.

If sustainability is central to aquaculture development, then smart technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things and big data are essential for realizing this goal. By leveraging these advancements, the industry is steadily decreasing its dependence on climate conditions.

At Dinghai Bay in Fujian, 5G and intelligent sensors have been widely deployed across more than a dozen large-scale aquaculture platforms to monitor water quality, temperature, dissolved oxygen levels and fish growth, streamlining the farming operations.

Standing in offshore waters with strong currents, rapid seawater exchange and high dissolved oxygen levels, these platforms allow species such as large yellow croaker and abalone to exercise against the current, resulting in firmer texture and a taste closer to that of wild fish.

Another example of aquaculture's high-tech transformation is Guoxin-1, a smart aquaculture vessel roaming the Yellow Sea and the East Sea. Raising species such as large yellow croaker, grouper and Atlantic salmon using an onboard tank system, the vessel is equipped with large-scale water intake and discharge facilities, circulating over 80,000 cubic meters of seawater within its tanks.

Moreover, the 100,000-tonne vessel can autonomously relocate based on water temperature and ocean currents while proactively avoiding typhoons, red tides and other natural hazards, reducing farming risks and potential losses.

Guoxin-1 is like a moveable maritime farm, flexibly operating across different sea areas, Yeong said, "This smart, industrialized and mobile aquaculture platform represents the future direction of seafood farming."

In China, aquaculture represents a remarkable 83 percent of total fishery production, in contrast to just 17 percent from wild capture. This reliance on farmed products not only provides high-quality seafood to the global market but also helps decrease the pressure on wild fisheries.

Guided by a commitment to sustainability, China has developed and cultivated a total of 640 aquaculture species, according to Xiao Fang, director of the fisheries and fishery administration at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, speaking at the opening ceremony of the conference.

As many countries around the world are still suffering from hunger, malnutrition, and poverty, people are looking at China's aquaculture for development opportunities and solutions, said Manuel Barange, assistant director general and director of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

"I've seen a country that has committed to developing a sustainable blue economy with people at heart to ending hunger and poverty. I'm very impressed about that," added Barange.