Qinghai Successfully Introduces a New Fish Species from Russia

The new fish species introduced from Russia for trial breeding - the whitefish (Coregonus peled) - will be promoted on a large scale in Qinghai Province. The introduction of this "foreign fish" has not only broken the previously rather monotonous aquaculture pattern in the province, but also moved Qinghai's fisheries one step closer to the international market. In order to make the whitefish breeding and cultivation technology more mature in the province's aquaculture sector, Qinghai Province recently invited Alexander Ivanovich Litvinenko, president of the Research Academy of the Siberian Fisheries of the Russian Federation and academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, to visit Qinghai for inspection and technical analysis, and to provide market information. The whitefish is a fish that grows quickly, has delicious flesh, costs little but has high economic value, and holds a considerable share of the international market. As a new breeding and cultivation target, it has already attracted the attention of various countries, and its source stock is mainly found in the vast freshwater waters of the Russian region. Because the whitefish is suited to cultivation in cold, large water bodies, Qinghai Province introduced 40,000 whitefish eyed eggs earlier this year, and the results so far have been good. According to surveys, Qinghai Province has about 3 million mu of cold water resources available for development in the near term, giving broad scope for vigorously promoting and demonstrating whitefish cultivation. To this end, Qinghai Province has decided to introduce 3 million eyed eggs each year starting next year for cultivation in large water bodies such as Keluke Lake and the Datong Jingyang Reservoir, as well as in reservoirs. This year's introduced quantity will reach 1 million eyed eggs, to be cultivated first in the Nanmenxia Reservoir and in ponds at the province's fish original and improved variety farm. Based on an area of 3 million mu, it is expected to produce more than 6,000 tons of whitefish annually, generating an output value of 84 million to 100 million yuan.