Prawn farming in high-salinity seawater in Hekou district, Dongying, East China's Shandong province, has become a key industry driving agricultural development and boosting farmers' incomes.
In recent years, Hekou district has introduced South American prawns, creating a comprehensive industrial chain centered on prawn farming. The district has developed 500,000 cubic meters of prawn aquaculture facilities, established over 20,000 hectares of integrated aquaculture and salt farming, and set up four prawn processing companies.
The prawns farmed in high-salinity seawater are harvested once a year, with a growth period of over 120 days.
Their protein content is approximately 9 percent higher than prawns farmed in regular seawater, while their fat content is 63.63 percent lower, making them an exceptional high-protein, low-fat health food.
The prawns also have a higher astaxanthin content and coarser meat fibers. As salinity increases, so does the concentration of umami amino acids, enhancing their fresh, sweet flavor. This quality has garnered widespread praise from consumers.
Moving forward, Hekou district will focus on improving the breeding of high-quality shrimp larvae, implementing healthy farming practices, strengthening process supervision, and enhancing brand promotion. The goal is to create a comprehensive industrial chain that spans from shrimp larvae to the dining table.
