Puffer fish offer profit without the poison

Luannan county in Tangshan, Hebei province, about 200 kilometers southeast of Beijing, is profiting from puffer fish.

It has more than 40 km of coastline and more than 80,000 hectares of offshore sea area, providing natural advantages as a fishery, the local government said. It has formed a complete industrial chain related to puffer fish — breeding, raising, processing and sales.

The county produces more than 10,000 metric tons of puffer fish each year and exports nearly 8,000 metric tons to foreign countries, including Japan and South Korea, according to the government of Nanpu town, where the puffer fish industry is centered.