A second Chinese vessel used for fisheries research is active in the west of the Maldives, Adhadhu has learned.

Satellite tracking shows that the "Lan Hai 101" or “Blue Ocean 101” ship of the Chinese Agriculture Ministry-affiliated Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute has spent more than a month in the Maldives region.

Adhadhu found based on satellite AIS tracking that the Chinese vessel has been traveling in the same pattern in the Indian Ocean west of the Maldives. Research vessels typically sail in such patterns to conduct research.

The vessel departed from China’s Qingdao port on November 21, 2023.

Since then, the vessel has traveled about 70 miles close to the Maldives Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) on several occasions, tracking data showed.

However, the ship was not visible on commonly used tracking sites after December 5, 2023. It was expected to have turned off tracking systems.

Sailing pattern of second Chinese research vessel.

As with the "Xiang Yang Hong 03" research vessel currently en route to the Maldives, mainstream tracking sites last showed the other vessel in the Java Sea off Indonesia.

The former vessel, which was said to be heading for a port call in Male’, has been circling the Maldives EEZ and traveling in the same pattern since January 30. The vessel entered the Maldives EEZ on three occasions.

Vessel specifications

The "Lan Hai 101" ship used for fisheries science and surveys is about 85 meters long.

In use by the Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute since 2019, the 3,289-ton vessel is the largest ship currently used for fisheries research in the Chinese fleet.

The ship was designed for fisheries research in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea. But it has the capacity to conduct research in distant seas.

Described by China as the country’s most advanced fisheries research vessel, the "Lan Hai 101" is equipped with a laboratory and state-of-the-art machinery used to survey marine life and underwater terrain.

The vessel has an echo sound (EK80) system, purse seining equipment and a sonar scan system.

The scope of the vessel also includes testing fisheries innovations and discovering new fishing grounds.