Rudong introduces golden pomfrets to meet residents' needs during the fishing moratorium and further increase the incomes of local farmers. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

Golden pomfret is one of three major marine economy fishes in China. Due to the strong adaptability of salt water and ease of feeding them fodder, the fish is bred in large areas such as Guangdong province, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Hainan province and southern Fujian province.

"There is a lack of aquaculture fish species in Jiangsu's coastal areas. We introduced species highly recognized by the market from other places for domestication and localization, to enrich residents' tables, and to boost the development of fisheries in Rudong," said Zhu Fei, a research assistant at the Rudong base of the Jiangsu Marine Fisheries Research Institute.

A total of 4,000 baby golden pomfrets were put into the outdoor pond at the base in July. Golden pomfret is a tropical carnivorous fish with weak resistance to low temperatures. As the weather gets cold, workers at the Rudong base are busy moving them to indoor ponds.

During the breeding process, sci-tech personnel regulated water quality through microbial preparations and some other technical means such as aeration facilities to create a suitable living environment for golden pomfrets. Focus was also put on the occurrence of diseases.

With a coastline of 86 kilometers, Rudong boasts abundant marine resources and is naturally suited to developing fisheries. The settlement of tropical fish in Rudong will not only meet residents' need for multiple species of live marine fish during the fishing moratorium, but also increase the varieties suitable for local breeding and the incomes of local farmers, according to Zhu.