- China to launch a new “offshore ranching” category.
- Model to span breeding, farming and distribution.
- Support levels to remain unchanged, assures MARA.
China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) said the new model will integrate and optimise existing marine ranching and deep-sea aquaculture equipment projects, creating a unified category of offshore ranching programmes.
“During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China will integrate and optimise existing marine ranching projects and deep-sea aquaculture equipment projects to create a new category of offshore ranching projects,” said an official during a press conference.
This would align with President Xi Jinping’s vision of a “blue granary” and a broader food supply that draws from both land and sea.
Bringing it all together
This new approach brings together conservation and aquaculture production “towards a model that prioritises ecology, efficient production, land-sea integration and coordinated development.”
According to MARA, this means projects will expand in scope beyond individual components such as artificial reefs and aquaculture equipment to cover the entire fisheries value chain.
This would include aquatic breeding, nearshore aquaculture, offshore aquaculture and seafood processing and distribution.
Additionally, development will shift from dispersed projects towards clustered development featuring concentrated resources, complementary functions and regional coordination.
“The objective is to create a number of offshore ranching projects with rational layouts, diverse functions and complete industrial chains. Through this systematic restructuring, the government aims to move beyond simple consolidation towards the deep integration of marine ranching and offshore aquaculture development,” said the MARA official.
Support and resources for marine ranching and offshore aquaculture will come under offshore ranching projects, with no change to overall support levels, said MARA.
It added that it was currently working with the Ministry of Finance to formulate specific support measures for offshore ranching, with marine ranching and offshore aquaculture equipment designated as key priorities.
“The goal is to establish offshore ranching as a leading example of fisheries modernisation and high-quality marine economic development.”
Alongside support for offshore ranching, China will continue to fund green aquaculture development and coastal fishing port economic zone projects.
New priorities include expanding intelligent monitoring systems in fishing ports and strengthening fisheries safety oversight.
The ministry said coastal provinces would also retain flexibility to support marine ranching and offshore aquaculture projects through general transfer payments and other funding mechanisms based on local needs.
Growth story so far
By the end of 2025, China’s aquatic product production had increased by 16.9% compared with the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan period, while the fisheries sector’s total economic output had risen by 28.8% and fishermen’s average per capita disposable income had climbed by 31.3%, according to the ministry.
“Projects promoting green and circular fisheries development and coastal fishing port economic zones have delivered strong results during the 14th Five-Year Plan period by improving aquaculture quality and raising the standard of fishing port infrastructure.”
Despite the growth, the authorities have identified several challenges in ensuring product quality and safety, production safety, resource security and international fisheries compliance.
Furthermore, the industry faces structural issues, including uneven and insufficient industry development.
“Continued policy support is therefore needed to guide and safeguard sector development,” said MARA.
