World's First Humanlike Smart Squid-Jigging Robot Begins 90-Day Sea Trial in Northwest Pacific

A newly developed Chinese robotic system, billed as the world's first intelligent squid-jigging robot, is designed to precisely replicate the subtle hand movements that experienced fishermen use to lure squid up from deep water — with the goal of improving catch rates and operational stability in complex offshore environments.

The robot is currently undergoing sea trials aboard the research vessel Songhang, which departed from Changxing Island in Shanghai on June 8. The vessel is conducting a 90-day extended survey mission in the Northwest Pacific, giving researchers the opportunity to evaluate the robot's real-world performance in genuine ocean conditions.

Bringing Human-Level Precision to Offshore Jigging Operations

Unlike conventional automated systems found on squid fishing vessels worldwide, this new robot is engineered to respond dynamically to squid behavior, adjusting its movements in real time based on how a squid bites. This adaptive capability allows it to approach the precision of a seasoned fisherman, with the potential to simultaneously boost operational efficiency and total catch volume, according to the South China Morning Post.

The squid-jigging robot was jointly developed by Shanghai Ocean University and China Aquatic Products Zhoushan Ocean Fisheries Co., and has been deployed aboard the Songhang as part of the ongoing sea trial program. Chinese media reports indicate the vessel is undertaking a 90-day scientific survey studying fishery resources in the high seas of the Northwest Pacific.

China is the world's largest seafood producer and operates one of the largest distant-water fishing fleets globally, comprising thousands of vessels — including squid fishing boats that operate in major fishing grounds, particularly off the coast of South America.

However, certain practices of China's distant-water fishing fleet have long drawn international scrutiny, with critics alleging illegal fishing, poor labor conditions for crew members, environmental damage to marine ecosystems, and in some cases suspected intelligence-gathering activities.

Addressing Inefficiency in Squid Jigging Operations

Industrial squid fishing typically uses a method known as jigging. At night, fishing vessels illuminate powerful lights — visible even from space — to attract squid along with their prey to the surface. Fishermen then lower baited lines and jig them rapidly up and down to mimic the movement of small prey such as shrimp, triggering a strike before hauling the squid aboard.

Professor Chen Xinjun of Shanghai Ocean University, the lead researcher on the intelligent jigging project, noted that traditional squid fishing relies heavily on crew members' subjective judgment to detect when squid have taken the bait — a process prone to inefficiency and lost time.

While many industrial squid vessels already use automated systems for repetitive tasks such as line jigging and fish retrieval, these machines generally operate on pre-programmed routines calibrated according to crew assessments of local sea conditions.

Chen explained that the new intelligent squid-jigging system goes a step further, integrating sensors and adaptive control technology to respond in real time to squid strikes and escape attempts. The goal is to reduce ineffective operations and lower dependence on human decision-making throughout the catch process.

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