VESSEL REVIEW | Wan Qu Hengzhou Hao – China’s newest deep-sea pen with capacity for 200,000 fish

Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Group Offshore Engineering of China has delivered a new deep-sea fish farming platform to local company the Zhuhai Agricultural Control Group.

Named Wan Qu Hengzhou Hao (“Hengzhou Bay Area”), the platform was developed as part of a project that seeks to introduce a new series of offshore platforms that combine the functions of intelligent deep-sea fish cages, aquatic product processing, and marine tourism venues. This specific fish farming platform is the first such multi-use structure to be built under the project.

Measuring 123.8 metres long, 66.8 metres wide, and 11 metres high, Wan Qu Hengzhou Hao can accommodate an estimated 200,000 fish in 91,000 cubic metres of water. The cage sections can also be used for farming larger species of fish that have higher nutritional and economic values.

The platform is equipped with an array of underwater cameras, alarm systems, and real-time monitoring systems to inform operators on the status of water flow, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, and other important parameters related to ensuring fish health.

A damping truss structure and self-lifting capability will ensure that the platform can still operate and the fish farming activities within can still be conducted even in areas that are experiencing typhoons or other severe weather conditions. For instance, if a typhoon is passing through the area where the platform is deployed, the platform can be lowered six to seven metres beneath the surface. This then makes the entire structure less susceptible to the impact caused by the crashing of waves. The structure is kept safe, as are the embarked personnel and the fish in the onboard cages.

Wan Qu Hengzhou Hao has been deployed in the waters of the Dawan District between Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau since March of this year. Design work on the fish farm was carried out by DSS Marine Engineering in compliance to China Classification Society rules and with technical assistance from local partners led by the South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences.

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