Survival boost for Inner Mongolia crab seedlings

Since the end of March, approximately 3 million high-quality crab seedlings have been released at the Jinsha Bay base in Shahai township of Bayannuur's Hanggin Rear Banner, in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region. Totaling 26,500 kilograms, the Yangtze River Chinese mitten crab seedlings carry the hope of a bountiful harvest on the saline-alkali flats of the Hetao Plain.

To boost survival rates and ensure the seedlings settle smoothly, technicians completed preliminary preparations such as water quality regulation and oxygenation, along with equipment adjustments, to lay a solid foundation for the aquaculture work. The saline-alkali land, which once hindered agricultural development, has been transformed into a natural incubator for cultivating high-quality river crabs.

"The dry climate, abundant sunlight and mineral-rich saline-alkali water combine to give the crabs their green back, white belly, golden claws, yellow hair and sweet, tender meat," said Gao Huijun, director of the banner's aquatic products service center."They are expected to mature by mid-September, over 20 days earlier than southern mitten crabs, highlighting their off-season advantage and strong market competitiveness."

Located in the center of the Hetao Plain at 40 degrees north latitude, the area boasts high-quality water resources from the Yellow River and vast saline-alkali land.

In recent years, the local government has delved into the development path of fishing to treat saline-alkali and promote ecological farming. Leveraging leading enterprises to focus on characteristic aquaculture on saline-alkali land is gradually yielding industrial advantages while building a premium aquatic brand of local crabs.

As the main aquaculture unit, the Inner Mongolia Crab Source Ecological Technology Co has fully developed its standardized ecological farming bases, promoting modern aquaculture technologies such as scientific management, ecological grass planting and intelligent oxygenation, making aquaculture a characteristic pillar industry for local rural vitalization.

"The company has set up three major farming bases in the townships of Erdaoqiao, Shahai and Menghai, covering a total area of 100 hectares," said Wang Dong, manager of the company.