China Unveils Its First Advanced Fisheries Large Model 4.0, Delivering Enhanced Computational Power for Key Sector Applications

The 2026 International Smart Fisheries and Aquaculture Conference, organized by China Agricultural University, commenced officially in Beijing. Under the theme of “Digital Drive · Smart Empowerment · Building a New Future for Global Fisheries,” the event brought together over 400 experts and scholars from across the globe to discuss opportunities for technological collaboration and innovation within the field of smart fisheries.

During the opening ceremony, Professor Li Daoliang, Director of the National Digital Fishery Innovation Center at China Agricultural University, unveiled the next generation of fisheries large model — “Fanli Large Model 4.0.” This advancement represents a significant step forward in advancing digitalization and intelligence in aquaculture across China. As an upgraded version of the initial fisheries large model, it boasts significantly enhanced computing power, with a parameter scale reaching 397 billion. It covers eight core aspects of aquaculture, including water quality, species management, feed usage, animal health, operational processes, equipment selection, energy consumption, and economic considerations. Moreover, it integrates specialized knowledge related to 101 major aquaculture species, establishing the most comprehensive vertical domain knowledge graph available in this industry to date.

In addition to this major upgrade of the industry’s large model, the conference also witnessed another global first — the official release of the world’s first open data set dedicated to smart fisheries. This dataset includes 116,000 images along with 698,000 task annotations, creating a systematic and thorough collection of image and visual cognition data. It provides a solid data foundation for advancing global smart fisheries development. Both this dataset and “Fanli Large Model 4.0” are now fully accessible to researchers and enterprises worldwide, enabling them to use, evaluate, collaborate on further development, and share insights in order to drive progress in this field.

In his opening address, Chen Wei, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and President of China Agricultural University, highlighted that the global fisheries and aquaculture sector is currently facing numerous challenges, particularly due to varying levels of resource availability and different farming practices across countries and regions. He emphasized that now more than ever, there is a need for deeper exchanges and mutual learning among stakeholders. He stated that China Agricultural University will continue to promote standardized sharing of data resources, encourage cross-disciplinary and international collaborative innovation, and focus on cultivating specialized talent, so that more industry participants can benefit from digitalization and intelligent transformation initiatives.

Manuel Barri, Assistant Director-General and Head of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Department at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), also attended the conference. He noted that digital transformation plays a crucial role in supporting the sustainable development of fisheries and aquaculture. Moving forward, FAO plans to strengthen its partnership with China Agricultural University’s National Digital Fishery Innovation Center by concentrating on three key areas: blue transition initiatives, digital fisheries solutions, and sustainable fisheries practices. Through efforts in technology advancement, green production methods, large-scale implementation, talent development, and global knowledge sharing, these parties aim to foster modern fisheries systems that feature efficient resource use and strong biosecurity measures.

The two-day conference included three specialized forums: “Data, Artificial Intelligence, and Decision Support Systems,” “Sensing Technology, Intelligent Equipment, and Robotics,” and “Smart Production Integration Systems and Collaborative Development of the Entire Industry Chain.” These forums were designed to foster continued technological collaboration and knowledge exchange within the global smart fisheries community.