An ocean of opportunity

0 Comment(s)Print E-mail China Daily, December 4, 2022
Adjust font size:
With a history dating back to the mid-Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), fortresslike stone houses are built along the coastline in Pingtan county, Fujian province.[Photo provided by Jiang Kehong/Lin Shanchuan/Xinhua]

Home to numerous floating islands, Xiapu county in Ningde, East China's Fujian province, has benefited from its natural resources and marine tourism over the years.

Boasting a marine area of 28,900 square kilometers, the largest among all coastal counties in Fujian, Xiapu enjoys rich resources.

Xu Fu'an, general manager of a local seafood company, catches a large yellow croaker.[Photo provided by Jiang Kehong/Lin Shanchuan/Xinhua]

A production center for edible seaweed and oysters, Xiapu has 28,000 hectares of seawater aquaculture area. Half of the county's population, about 260,000 people, are engaged in fishing industry. .

Fisherman Lin Ruibo's income has increased a lot from growing edible seaweed. Entering the seaweed harvest season, Lin is busy at his sea farm.

With more than 400 kilometers of coastline, Xiapu county in Ningde, Fujian, is a popular destination for photographers.[Photo provided by Jiang Kehong/Lin Shanchuan/Xinhua]

"The price of seaweed is 8 yuan ($1.13) per kilogram, which means I can make more than 40,000 yuan from a single boat's harvest," Lin says.

Xiapu has a complete industrial chain from growing seedlings to transplanting and processing. The annual production value of the industry is expected to reach 1 billion yuan this year.

A ship harvests oysters from the sea of Xiapu county.[Photo provided by Jiang Kehong/Lin Shanchuan/Xinhua]

The popularity of short-video platforms has helped raise the profile of seafood from the county nationally. Increasingly, farmers are sharing their lives online and use the internet as a new sales channel.

Quitting a city job three years ago, Zhang Xujian from Xiapu's Shajiang village and his father have livestreamed their beachcombing life.

1  2  >  


Follow China.org.cn on Twitter and Facebook to join the conversation.
ChinaNews App Download
Print E-mail Bookmark and Share

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)

No comments.

Add your comments...

  • User Name Required
  • Your Comment
  • Enter the words you see:   
    Racist, abusive and off-topic comments may be removed by the moderator.
Send your storiesGet more from China.org.cnMobileRSSNewsletter