Good harvests from both sea fishing and sea farming, the problem of low fish prices hurting fishermen is expected to ease

Original title: Strengthen services, promote science and technology

Magong reports success in both sea fishing and sea farming

Technical staff at an aquaculture base in Magong Subdistrict observe the growth of prawns. Photo by Shanwei Daily reporter  Sun Yanxiu

Since the beginning of this year, Magong Subdistrict in the urban area (of Shanwei City) has earnestly strengthened services for fishery production and focused on scientific aquaculture, increasing both output and income in fishery production and invigorating the fishing area's economy. As of May 15, the subdistrict had farmed and caught 8,773 tons of marine products, generating a value of 39.75 million yuan, up 5.8% and 9.1% respectively over the same period last year.

The subdistrict has a total of 429 medium- and deep-sea fishing boats, and fisheries have long been one of its economic pillars. Before this year's Spring Festival, in response to the fact that some fishing boats had worn-out nets and aging navigation and fishing-aid equipment, which was both unfavorable to production and a hindrance to safety, the subdistrict had its assigned leaders and village-based cadres take responsibility and mobilize fishing households to seize the interval when fishing boats returned to port to replenish fishing supplies and sell marine products to promptly purchase or repair and upgrade onboard production nets, satellite navigators, fish finders, radar and boat engines, which received a positive response from the fishing households. Helping one another, they raised and invested more than 4.3 million yuan in total and had the fishing boats repaired and equipped anew before the Spring Festival, enabling the boats to set sail one after another from the second day of the Lunar New Year to join the spring fishing season. In particular, this year's climate has suddenly turned cold and then hot, which is extremely unfavorable to the arrangement of spring fishing season production, but the subdistrict grasped the work early and took the initiative, actively guiding fishermen to make production preparations and response measures in advance, enabling the fishing boats to achieve high yields during the period of high fish prices and increasing income. According to statistics, as of May 15, the subdistrict had caught 5,403 tons of various marine products, generating a value of 19.26 million yuan.

In response to the reality of increasingly scarce marine resources, the subdistrict seized the opportunity and moved quickly, successively building intensive prawn ponds, extensive fish enclosures and shellfish aquaculture water surface of more than 18,000 mu, forming a new pattern of mariculture. By continuously summarizing experience and lessons, the subdistrict organized scientific and technical personnel to go deep into aquaculture farms and households and guide them to do a good job in traditional aquaculture with scientific methods. Based on climate, tides and relevant conditions such as the salinity of pond water and enclosure water and the growth of fish and shrimp, the aquaculture farms and households vigorously pursued scientific management, promptly adjusting pond and enclosure water quality or draining fresh water and taking in salt water, effectively raising mariculture output and economic benefits. As of May 15, the subdistrict had harvested 3,370 tons of mariculture products, generating a value of 20.49 million yuan. At present, in response to the reality that many aquaculture farms and households have low economic benefits because of a single product, the subdistrict has introduced high-yield species such as fourfinger threadfin and red snapper, and invited relevant experts and professors from the South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute to teach nearly 100 aquaculture technicians scientific breeding methods and aquaculture techniques such as feeding, cleaning waste, maintaining salinity and purifying pond water, and promptly stocked 200 mu. This approach will ease the unfavorable situation of "low fish prices hurting fishermen." (Correspondents Zhong Xuncheng, Zhou Guiyu)