Cage fish farming banned by the government for environmental protection, 46 million jin of fish to be sold within a deadline

Our newspaper's Handan correspondent Chen Zheng, intern reporter Xi Xiaojian, text/photos

During the Double Festival holiday, while everyone was immersed in a joyful atmosphere, the 840 fishing households of Lucunying Township in Ci County were full of worry. On August 30, in order to improve the water quality of Handan City's important backup water source, "Dongwushi Reservoir" (also known as Yiquan Lake), and to strive to create a blue-wave water-town ecological environment, the Handan City and Ci County governments made a decisive decision to resolutely clean up and ban cage fish farming in the reservoir in accordance with the law. Looking at the fish stock in their cages, ranging from at least tens of thousands of jin to as much as several hundred thousand jin, the farmers were troubled: "Who are we going to sell the fish to?"

According to the reporter's investigation, the entire Yiquan Lake currently has nearly 46 million jin of fish stock, and all of them must be sold before October 20, otherwise they will be cleaned up and rectified.

　　Fishermen: "Worrying fish" urgently seek a way out

At a fish sales point in Nanguo Village, Lucunying Township, three to five fish-hauling trucks were parked beside the narrow road, with people catching fish, packing boxes, and weighing, a busy scene. Upon learning that the reporter had come to learn about the fish-selling situation, several busy fishermen could not help but speak to the reporter. "Nanning Village is considered a major fish-farming village, with 76 fish-farming households in the village. I have been farming fish for more than 20 years. This year I raised about 400,000 jin, and more than half of it still has not been sold. Now I am not asking to make a profit, just hoping not to lose too much." A fisherman surnamed Yang said with a bitter smile.

Nanguo Village currently has 43 fish-farming households. One fisherman said that what gave them the biggest headache was that small fry simply had a price but no market. "Adult fish are still manageable, but half-grown fish and fry are not easy to sell. Fry have a price but no market and cannot be sold. Now those who come to haul fish all pick the finished fish, and even then they cannot haul them all away. Small fry that do not reach the weight are completely ignored."

At the fishing site, the reporter gradually learned from the fishermen that most fishermen in Lucunying Township raised 5 varieties: carp, grass carp, silver carp, longsnout catfish, and crucian carp; some also raised catfish and three-gun fish, but in very small numbers. Compared with last year, the selling price was nearly half lower. "For example, grass carp: in previous years adult fish could sell for 9 yuan per jin, but now it is sold for around 5 yuan. Carp adult fish at 6 yuan is also sold at half the price. What hurts most is silver carp. Silver carp has many bones and was already not very popular with buyers. Adult fish were originally not expensive, selling at 2 yuan 80 fen per jin, but now some people sell at 1 yuan 40 fen, let alone half-grown silver carp smaller than one jin eight liang and fry, which nobody wants at all!" introduced a female fisherman surnamed Yang from Nanning Village.