As temperatures rise, the Sandu'ao waters in Jiaocheng District of Ningde City, east China's Fujian Province, have entered the peak spring season for releasing large yellow croaker fry, with more than 800 million expected to be released into offshore cages in the coming days.
At local hatcheries, workers are busy preparing the fry. After about a month of rearing, the young fish reach a suitable size for transfer to seawater. They are then loaded into trucks equipped with circulating water systems and transported to offshore aquaculture zones in Sandu'ao waters.
"Measurements show the fry have grown to around six centimeters, meeting the standard for release into sea cages," said Su Yangliang, a hatchery supervisor with the Ningde Large Yellow Croaker Industry Association.
Sensitive to temperature changes, large yellow croakers require stable marine conditions. With seawater temperatures and quality currently ideal, March is considered the best time for release. To improve survival rates, the newly introduced fry, still relatively fragile, are first placed in deep-water, wave-resistant cages for temporary rearing before being moved to aquaculture rafts once they adapt to the environment.
"This batch of high-quality fry will be kept in sea cages for about half a month. Some will then be supplied to nearby farmers, while the rest will be retained by the company," said Song Xiangguo, head of a local aquaculture firm.
Around 870 million fries are expected to be released in the Sandu'ao waters this spring, with the process continuing through the end of March.
Once a major seafood in east China, the large yellow croaker saw its population decline sharply from the 1970s due to overfishing. In recent decades, joint efforts by researchers and fishermen have advanced scientific breeding techniques, helping bring the species back to market.
Fujian to release over 800 mln large yellow croaker fries in Sandu'ao waters
Fujian to release over 800 mln large yellow croaker fries in Sandu'ao waters
