Marine ranching fair in Dalian focuses on resource sharing

Representatives attend the opening ceremony for the 2018 China International Marine Ranching Fair in Dalian, Liaoning province, Oct 29. [Photo/Chinanews.com]

The 2018 China International Marine Ranching Fair opened in Dalian, Northeast China's Liaoning province, on Oct 29.

More than 200 organizations from all over the world, including government agencies, research institutes, and enterprises exhibited their products and technologies for marine ranching during the three-day event.

Jointly hosted by China Society of Fisheries, Dalian Ocean University, and Dalian City Oceanic and Fishery Administration, the event was themed around
"green sharing of ecological resources".

Featuring exhibitions and themed forums, the event aimed to promote the scientific development of China's modern marine ranching industry, demonstrate the achievements of national demonstration areas, and promote global technical exchanges and cooperation in the marine ranching field.

According to Zhang Xianliang, director of the fishery administration department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China, the country currently has 233 marine pastures, among which 64 are national demonstration areas.

These pastures are estimated to generate direct economic benefits of more than 30 billion yuan ($4.31 billion) annually, and receive more than 16 million tourists who enjoy maritime sightseeing and sea fishing and in doing so boost economic growth in coastal areas, Zhang said.

Problems still exist, noted Ding Dewen, an expert on marine ecological environment and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, such as monitoring ecological environment  and managing engineering technology.

Advancing technologies is required to promote sustainable development of the marine ranching industry, added Ding.

The model of Zoneco Group's marine ranching project is on display at the event in Dalian. [Photo/Chinanews.com]

Equipment for marine ranching on display during the fair in Dalian [Photo/Chinanews.com]