Jellyfish production hub spreads its tentacles

Bountiful bay

Since 1989, Yingkou has become famous for fishing and processing jellyfish. The techniques have been passed down through different generations, as demand for the delicacy has spread across the world.

The country's largest jellyfish breeding, processing and trading area, in 2019 the city was named the "hometown of Chinese jellyfish" by the China Fisheries Association.

Situated at the mouth of the Daliao River next to the Bohai Sea, Yingkou has mild sunlight and abundant plankton, one of the main food sources for jellyfish, along with small fish, crustaceans and mollusks. With 1,507 square kilometers of sea, the city's marine area naturally produces 400 million jellyfish annually.

The artificial breeding area of jellyfish is about 55,000 mu (3,666 hectares), with 8,000 metric tons of jellyfish cultivated on average every year. This year, the total jellyfish catch reached 206,000 tons, a 20 percent increase from previous years, data from local authorities showed.

Jellyfish are usually caught in July and August.

Every year at Wanghaizhai pier, about a dozen small plants process them after they are taken off the trawlers, Wang said. "We sell jellyfish to them, and some of the products are exported to neighboring countries," he said.

Wang believes catching jellyfish is good for marine ecology, as "fish, shrimps and crabs may be numbed or killed by the venom of the jellyfish".

Wu Jiacheng, an official from the city's bureau of ocean and fisheries, said the potential of the jellyfish industry in Yingkou is enormous.

"On the supply side, Yingkou has unique advantages in natural resources. Coupled with the development of artificial cultivation, the supply is abundant and sustainable," he said. "On the demand side, jellyfish is rich in collagen. Its low calorie and high nutritional content is increasingly favored by consumers."

Yingkou has established a complete industry chain integrating cultivation, fishing, processing and trade, and is transitioning toward deep processing and branding.

"With the integrated development of agriculture, fishing and tourism, the added value of the jellyfish industry will be further enhanced," Wu said.