China's coastal provinces make efforts to boost marine biodiversity via marine life hatcheries

China's coastal provinces are investing heavily in offshore marine life hatcheries in a bid to boost marine biodiversity and restore local ecosystem.

In some provinces, efforts have been made to farm fish fries captured from local waters, especially those species with higher economic values, in a hope that these released fish can enhance the fish stock in local waters while bringing higher returns to local fishermen.

In Rudong County, Jiangsu Province, the local Marine Fisheries Research Institute has successfully preserved more than ten types of economically valuable fish, including large and small yellow croakers, for release back into the sea. This initiative helps establish a resource pool of marine fish.

"Leading the way in Jiangsu, we have mastered the skills and knowledge required to preserve live wild fish. We nurture them indoors and train them to accept artificial food. Over 120 million seedlings of large yellow croaker have been released into the Yellow Sea," said Zhu Fei, a researcher at the Jiangsu (Rudong) Marine Fisheries Research Institute.

Since 2009, Rudong County has intensified its breeding efforts, releasing marine life suitable for the local seas to replenish biological resources. Additionally, more than 10 million yuan (about 1.38 million dollars) has been invested in preserving and restoring coastal mudflats and constructing bird habitats.

In Binzhou City, Shandong Province, local marine ranching initiatives breed oysters that help absorb carbon dioxide over an area of more than 66.67 million square meters.

"Apart from near-river oysters, we have successfully achieved self-breeding of four types of shellfish, including triploid oysters, blood clams, and short-necked clams. Each year, we release over 30 billion matured shellfish, promoting the diversification and coordinated development of marine life," said Zheng Shuhe, a researcher at the Binhe Marine Fisheries Research Institute.

It is estimated that the total yield of marine shellfish from Binzhou exceeds 220,000 tons, absorbing an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide, thus achieving a dual increase in both economic and ecological benefits.

China's coastal provinces make efforts to boost marine biodiversity via marine life hatcheries

Customers in Shanghai are flooding back to brick and mortar stores to upgrade their home appliances thanks to advances in energy efficiency and the availability of subsidies offered by local government, home appliance brands and retailers.

A store in Shanghai's downtown Changning District has welcomed an average of 2,800 customers on a daily basis in recent days.

Labels on some home appliances show that customers have access to a 10 percent subsidy as long as the products they buy are energy efficient.

"With this 10-percent subsidy, I decided to make offline purchase at this store. It's cheaper after all," said one customer.

This 10 percent subsidy is offered by the Shanghai government to boost consumption.

Retailers are also offering subsidies, further driving up consumption.

"If a customer is buying a product with grade one energy label, while at the same time has an old machine for replacement, the customer can enjoy a 10 percent subsidy from the government. And our platform and the manufacturer together offer a 10 percent subsidy for trade-in goods. And we are also offering an additional seven to eight percent subsidy for sets, and a five percent subsidy for single items. So the customer can generally get a 35 to 40 percent subsidy," said Yang Xu, procurement and sales manager with a Shanghai branch of China's e-commerce giant JD.com.

Noticeably, people are willing to buy more products, especially more high-end models.

"Things are now cheaper. So I have money left for high-end products. I've spent 20,000 yuan (about 2,764 U.S. dollars) here. In the past, I would not choose a refrigerator of more than 13,000 yuan (about 1796 U.S. dollars). I would only buy one with half its price. And I was not planning to buy a TV. But now, I've decided to buy one," said one customer.

Boosting consumption is just one upside of such trade-in programs. Replacing old machines with more energy efficient models also aligns with the country's carbon reduction goals.

China has pledged to achieve peak carbon emissions by 2030, and carbon neutrality by 2060.

Home appliances trade-in programs boost consumption, protect environment