Liaoning, seafood paradise, looks to coast on surge in popularity

Dalian, other areas in Liaoning province mull new measures to exploit their potential

Liaoning province in Northeast China, where picturesque places such as Changhai County also well known for their delicious seafood, is planning new measures to make the most of its popularity and natural advantages.

Fang Jianwei, Party secretary of the Changhai County of Dalian, said: "We will strengthen supervision and help build a system that can trace the origin of seafood, so that consumers would know whether or not what they buy originates in Changhai."

He said the local government will continue efforts to guarantee the quality of seafood by protecting Changhai's ecology and encourage local fishery enterprises to gain international recognition.

Some types of seafood are indicated by certain geography-specific features. Enterprises specializing in such good are considered world-class.

For instance, the largest scallop fishery at the Zhangzi Island of Changhai was the first in China to receive the Marine Stewardship Council's certification for sustainable fishing practices.

"We proposed the principle of plowing 1,000 hectares of sea area and nurturing that for 1,000 years to maintain the balance between commercial development and maintaining the ecosystem," said Wu Hougang, president of Zhangzi Island-based Zoneco Group Co Ltd, a company that is listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.

It produces scallops, sea cucumbers, abalone, sea urchins and oysters for domestic and international markets.

The Changhai County, comprising 252 islands dozens of kilometers away from the mainland coastline, is considered to be an ideal place for indulging in authentic and tasty seafood.

Every summer, tens of thousands of tourists vacation on the islands, making the most of local home-stays, inns, beaches and fresh seafood, much of which is eaten uncooked or raw, or boiled or steamed.

According to Wu, Zoneco's products are sold to almost all the domestic provinces as well as more than 20 regions and countries around the world. In 2016, the company's annual income exceeded 3 billion yuan ($436.4 million).

Yang Jiesen is a businessman. He has been in Dalian for more than 10 years now. One important factor that convinced him to settle down in Dalian is the city's high-quality seafood.

"My hometown is a coastal city in South China. Now, when I go back, I find local seafood there doesn't satisfy my taste buds anymore," Yang said.

Located at the southern tip of the Liaodong peninsula, Dalian faces the Korean peninsula across the Yellow Sea. It has four distinctive seasons with an annual average temperature of about 10 degrees Centigrade.

In 2016, Dalian produced 2.51 million tons of aquatic products. Its fishery economy was worth 79.2 billion yuan.

Abalone, sea urchin, and trepang, a type of rare sea cucumber, are among its popular seafood items.