VIDEO: China-Shipping Container Farm

Shipping Containers Turned Into Modern Fish Farms In East China City

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Inside these 70 metal shipping containers in the eastern Chinese city of Fuyang, are sturgeon, bass, and carp. And they, or rather their waste, is being collected as part of a successful aquaponic business. The fish waste is used as fertilizer for plants that clean the water for the fish.

The agri entrepreneur behind the project says this system improves both the volume and quality of the fish, which means higher prices at the market.

Chen Jinliang, agri entrepreneur: "A container occupies an area of 15 square meters and holds 25 cubic meters of water. We can raise 1,250 to 1,750 kilos of fish in each of them, and harvest twice a year.

A single container is as productive as a traditional pond that covers 0.13 hectares." According to Chen, container fish farming uses 95 percent less water and 50 percent less human labor than traditional fish farming. To ensure a carefully controlled environment, digital devices monitor the conditions from within the container.

Chen Jinliang, agri entrepreneur: "We've set the standards on water temperatures and dissolved-oxygen concentration to standardize production and ensure the same quality for different batches of products."

This year, the output value of Chen's aquaponic farm is expected to hit nearly 14 million U.S. dollars.