Huzhou, Zhejiang: A "freshwater shrimp king" paves the way for shared prosperity with characteristics of the water town

China News Service, Huzhou, October 3 (Huang Yanjun, Wu Mingxian) The breeze blew through the mouth of a contiguous aquaculture pond in Huzhou, Zhejiang, and ripples appeared on the water. Under the clear water, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, known as the "King of Freshwater Shrimps", is growing vigorously in the pond. From the sale of adult shrimp to the research and development of the seed industry, the local government has grasped the "chip" of the aquatic seed industry and paved the way to common prosperity with the characteristics of a water town with a Macrobrachium.

Early in the morning, an aquatic product transport truck drove into an aquatic seed industry base in Lucun, Balidian Town, Wuxing District, Huzhou City. The car was loaded with the first batch of "important visitors" to the base this year - Macrobrachium rosenbergii brood shrimp.

Workers climbed onto the roof of the vehicle and opened the water tank to carefully check the viability of the shrimp. Then, a tail of brood shrimp with a greenish-blue luster was safely sent to the breeding workshop nearby to start the new year's breeding season.

In an aquaculture seed industry base in Huzhou, Zhejiang, workers carry Macrobrachium rosenbergii broodstock. Photo by Wu Mingxian

"Before the breeding shrimp enters the site, the base has carried out comprehensive disinfection of all breeding sites, breeding ponds, tools and water pipelines." Yao Jian, a staff member of the base, said that throughout the breeding cycle, base workers and technicians will regularly inspect and monitor the water temperature and strictly control the temperature environment to ensure the smooth breeding of the breeding shrimp.

Macrobrachium rosenbergii is one of the largest freshwater shrimps in the world. As the core distribution center for Macrobrachium rosenbergii seeds across the country, the story behind Huzhou’s relationship with Macrobrachium rosenbergii is a story of strengthening the foundation of the seed industry and consolidating the confidence for independent agricultural development.

Macrobrachium rosenbergii was first introduced to China from Southeast Asia in 1976, and its culture began to be promoted in Guangdong, Guangxi, Jiangsu and Zhejiang in the early 1990s. In 2009, the "Nantaihu No. 2" Macrobrachium rosenbergii led by the Zhejiang Provincial Freshwater Fisheries Research Institute passed the national new aquatic species approval and successfully broke the foreign monopoly. The breeding work was mainly carried out in Huzhou; in 2022, the new variety "Nantaihu No. 3" Macrobrachium rosenbergii was launched in Huzhou, and the growth rate and breeding survival rate were further improved.

According to reports, the "Nantai Lake No. 3" shrimp seedlings are suitable for cultivating large-sized commercial shrimps. The weight of a single adult shrimp is generally 3 taels to 5 taels, and the breeding advantages are significant. At present, this improved variety has covered more than 20 provinces across the country. During the breeding season, all the nursery workshops in Huzhou are operating at full capacity, and batches of shrimp seedlings depart from the water town and are transported to the mouths of breeding ponds in the north and south of the Yangtze River.

Macrobrachium rosenbergii broodstock in Huzhou, Zhejiang. Photo by Wu Mingxian

"The base uses 'Nantaihu No. 3' for this breeding. The first batch of seed shrimp introduced this year is about 5,000 kilograms. This species has a fast growth rate and strong disease resistance. The high-quality seed shrimp germplasm can effectively improve the quality of shrimp eggs and make the subsequent hatching and nursery process smoother." said Li Beilei, the person in charge of the above-mentioned base.

Walking into the Macrobrachium rosenbergii breeding workshop, 300 standardized breeding tanks are neatly arranged. Each pool is equipped with oxygenation pipes, and special steel pipes are laid at the bottom of the pool, which are mainly used for constant temperature heating of the pool water to ensure stable water temperature; green mesh is laid on the water surface to provide space for the shrimp to climb and move to meet their growth habits.

As a provincial-level aquatic breeding farm in Zhejiang, the base has carried out in-depth cooperation with the Zhejiang Freshwater Fisheries Research Institute. Relying on digital breeding technology and standardized breeding models, it breeds a large number of high-quality shrimp seedlings every year and continues to supply aquaculture farmers across the country. At the same time, the industrial development of the base has effectively created employment for hundreds of local farmers, helping farmers increase their per capita annual income by about 100,000 yuan.

"For orders with earlier schedules, the base can have seedlings emerging as early as mid-November. According to the current breeding plan, the base will strive to exceed 1.5 billion shrimp seedlings this year." Li Beilei said that after the shrimp enter the breeding workshop, they will first undergo a month of rest and adaptation, and the subsequent emergence time will be flexibly adjusted according to market order demand.