Deputy Director of the bureau, Duan Deyu, announced that the aquaculture project, located at Wuzhizhou Island resort, has been funded through an initial investment of 20 million yuan (around $3.08 million) by a private company - Hainan Sea-View Paradise.
"The aim of the project is to try and improve the marine ecology by installing artificial reefs to increase marine breeding and releasing", Mr Duan said.
The project will consist of approximately 18,000 cubic meters of artificial reefs, which will be installed on the sides of Wuzhizhou Island, and an audio system, which will be added to attract and manage tropical fish.
Hainan hopes to become a world-renowned island, recreation and vacation resort. The Chinese government announced in January 2010 that the tropical island will be built into a top international tourism destination by 2020 as the bureau thinks the sea ranch will attract a substantial amount of tourists who will want to enjoy the ecology.
With high hopes for the project, the Sayna city government is seeking investors to provide about 265 million yuan (about $40.81 million ) to build eight more sea ranches in the next ten years.
Tropical Sea Ranch Construction Begins
CHINA - An official from the Ocean and Fisheries bureau has reported that the construction of China's first tropical sea ranch began on Tuesday in Sanya, a coastal resort city in Hainan Province.
