Hairy crab war starts online

As anglers netted the first haul of Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs on Saturday, marking the beginning of this year's season, leading e-commerce platforms had already cast their net beyond the lake, offering more choices to consumers.

Yangcheng Lake, a freshwater lake in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, has long been reputed as the home of the tastiest large freshwater crabs.

However, this year's output from Yangcheng Lake is expected to contract to 1,200 metric tons, down from 2,100 tons last year, according to Hu Jianguo, secretary-general of Suzhou Yangcheng Lake Crab Association.