Landlocked Xinjiang cashes in on aquatic products
The aquatic products industry in Northwest China's landlocked Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region is continuing to boom this year on the back of increased demand.
Last week, 10 metric tons of crab larvae were put in Nanping Reservoir in Moyu county on the edge of the Taklimakan Desert — the world's second-largest shifting desert. The reservoir is built to hold snowmelt water from the Kunlun Mountains. It's ideal to grow freshwater crabs, said Abudulrezak Memeturson, manager of Hotan Kehui Ecoagriculture Development Company that breeds the crabs.
"The water temperature has now become suitable for young crabs to grow," Abudulrezak said. "More than 98 percent can survive here, so we expect to harvest about 40 tons of crab in the autumn.
"And, more importantly, crabs raised in snowmelt water with traces of saline and alkali taste particularly good."
Moyu, in southern Xinjiang's Hotan prefecture, now has 123 freshwater aquaculture ponds that can produce up to 3,800 tons of aquatic products a year, according to the county government.
Seafood from Xinjiang gained public favor last autumn after Japan's dumping of water contaminated with radioactivity sparked intense concerns about seafood safety and the state of the marine environment.
Xinjiang boasts long hours of sunlight, vast deserts and rugged mountains, with an extremely dry climate. That would appear to make it an unsuitable location for seafood production due to the massive amount of water required. However, the region is also home to multiple rivers, lakes, reservoirs and ponds, where the aquatic products industry can thrive.
To simulate an ocean environment and breed seafood in Xinjiang, farmers and technicians have adjusted the local saline-alkali water to be similar to natural seawater.
By September, people will be able to enjoy seafood such as grouper and oysters grown at a seafood farm that transforms salt lake water into artificial seawater in the southern Xinjiang city of Artux, said Cai Huanhua, who is in charge of the operations of the farm.
The farm is about 2 kilometers from a salt lake. Microelements and probiotics are added to the water from the salt lake to turn it into artificial seawater suitable for breeding aquatic products, Cai said.
"We can offer people the taste of the sea from places so far from the real sea," Cai said.
The farm is expected to produce 130 tons of seafood this year and generate more than 17 million yuan ($2.35 million) in revenue, Cai added.
"We want to encourage more local people to get involved in seafood farming so they can make more money at their doorsteps."
Related articles
Ben Whishaw lights up the Croisette as he joins his co
Ben Whishaw was all smiles at the world premiere of Limonov: The Ballad at the 77th annual Cannes Fi2024-05-21One dead and two critical after a wannabe trucker who failed his test deliberately plowed his 18
One person has died and 13 more have been injured after a Texas driver intentionally plowed a stolen2024-05-21This summer embarks on a youthful feast: Chengdu 2021 FISU World University Games
Beijing, July 25 (Youth.cn) -On July 28th, 2023, Chengdu will embrace a grand event of youth - the 32024-05-21Commentary: China, a doer in advancing global climate governance
(Xinhua) 09:51, December 02, 2023COP28 President Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber (C) visits China's pavilion i2024-05-21US overdose deaths dropped in 2023, the first time since 2018
NEW YORK (AP) — The number of U.S. fatal overdoses fell last year, according to Centers for Disease2024-05-21US smears, blames China, and shirks its own responsibility on fentanyl issue: Chinese FM
(Global Times) 14:23, July 15, 2023Overlooking real trouble. Illustration: Liu Rui/GTAnswering a que2024-05-21
atest comment