Huang Yusong, director-general of Qingdao Ocean and Fishery Bureau, told that Qingdao will accelerate modernization of the industry and make it a mainstay. He explained that as per the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-10) for Qingdao’s marine economy, the total production value of the fishery industry will reach 25.8 billion yuan by 2010, when annual average per capita net income of those harvesting and fishing will hit 11,000 yuan.
According to Huang last year’s total catch and aquaculture production was about 1.4 million tons that generated revenues of 18.48 billion yuan. He told that harvests of cultivated seafood and other marine organisms totaled 884,800 tons, some 61 percent of the total aquatic production in 2007. Products include fish, prawns, sea cucumber and abalone.
It is said that Qingdao is now home to more than 1,800 processing firms that have combined revenues of more than 8 billion yuan annually. Import and export of aquatic products is also expanding, rising to 916,000 tons last year with a total value of $1.5 billion. In order to maintain stable development, the city’s aquaculturists enlarged their breeding programme last year by releasing 27 billion fry. The industry is also drawing overseas investment, says Huang.
