Do You Know About China's Salmon Farming Bases?
I. Overview of International Salmon Farming
As an important source of high-end aquatic protein in the world, salmon farming is highly concentrated in Norway, Chile, Canada, the United Kingdom and other countries. Norway has long dominated global salmon farming with advanced technology and strict quality control; Chile has become the world's second largest salmon producer relying on the unique natural conditions in South America. In addition, the United Kingdom, Canada, Denmark's Faroe Islands and other places also have large-scale farming bases. In recent years, with the growth of global consumer demand, salmon farming technology has continued to improve, and deep-sea farming and intelligent management have gradually become popular, driving the industry to develop in an efficient and sustainable direction.
II. Development of Salmon Farming In China in the Past Three Years
In the past three years, China's salmon farming industry has shown a rapid growth trend, with technological breakthroughs and industrial upgrading advancing simultaneously:
Production increase: Domestic salmon production has increased from about 30,000 tons in 2021 to nearly 50,000 tons in 2023, with an average annual growth rate of more than 15%, of which Longyangxia in Qinghai and Yili in Xinjiang have made significant contributions.
Technological breakthroughs: Deep-sea aquaculture equipment (such as Qingdao's "Deep Blue No. 1") has been applied on a large scale, promoting the expansion of aquaculture from nearshore to deep sea; inland Xinjiang has broken through geographical restrictions through land-based circulating water systems to achieve efficient aquaculture of cold-water fish.
Market expansion: Domestic consumer demand has surged, and salmon has moved from high-end restaurants to family tables. At the same time, exports have steadily increased, and products are exported to Russia, Southeast Asia and Europe.
Brand building: Regional brands such as Qinghai's "Longyangxia" and Xinjiang's "Tianyun" have gradually formed, and the full industrial chain model (from aquaculture to processing and cold chain logistics) has become increasingly perfect.
Ⅲ. China's Top Three Salmon
Qinghai Longyangxia: a benchmark for inland freshwater aquaculture
Status: China's largest freshwater salmon aquaculture base, accounting for nearly 40% of the country's production.
Features: Relying on the high-quality cold water resources of the Longyangxia Reservoir, using low-density aquaculture and blockchain traceability technology, products are exported to more than ten countries.
Data: In 2023, the output of rainbow trout reached 18,000 tons, and the aquaculture area exceeded 400,000 square meters.
Qingdao "Deep Blue No. 1": Pioneer in deep-sea aquaculture
Status: The world's first fully submersible deep-sea fishery aquaculture equipment, realizing large-scale aquaculture of Atlantic salmon in low-latitude deep seas.
Features: The cage volume is 50,000 cubic meters, and the single aquaculture volume reaches 1,500 tons; relying on cold chain logistics, it can reach the national market within 12 hours.
Achievements: More than 3,000 tons of salmon will be harvested in 2023, and the quality will meet EU standards.
Xinjiang: Inland cold water resource potential area
Status: The fastest growing salmon production area in the country, expected to become the largest supply base in 2026.
Features: Using the meltwater of Tianshan ice and snow, combined with the land-based circulating water system, breaking through geographical restrictions; Nileke County, Turpan and other places have formed a cluster effect.
Data: The output will reach 8,000 tons in 2023, and it is expected to exceed 10,000 tons in 2024.
Other production areas:
Yunnan: Relying on plateau cold water resources, developing rainbow trout aquaculture, the scale is small but the growth rate is significant.
Heilongjiang and Jilin: Using cold water flows in mountainous areas to pilot salmon farming and explore the industrial potential in Northeast China.
IV. Conclusion And Follow-up Prospects
China's salmon farming industry is shifting from "scale expansion" to "quality improvement", with equal emphasis on technological innovation and ecological protection, and gradually building a diversified farming pattern covering deep sea and inland cold water areas. In the future, with the commissioning of new generation equipment such as "Deep Blue No. 2" and the improvement of the entire industrial chain in Xinjiang, Qinghai and other places, China is expected to become an important pole in the global salmon industry.
Preview of the follow-up series introduction:
Qinghai Longyangxia: Revealing how blockchain traceability technology enables quality control;
Qingdao "Deep Blue No. 1": Exploring the intelligent upgrade path of deep sea farming equipment;
Xinjiang production area: Analyzing the ecological cycle model of inland cold water fish farming.
Please pay attention and go to the "deep sea journey" of China's salmon industry together!