Not long ago, a “mussel-style” cultural auditorium was completed on Gouqi Island, Zhoushan. The auditorium is not very large, and you can see a bunch of black mussels hanging in the air when you enter it. The little black mussel is the secret weapon for the reverse prosperity of Gouqi Island.

Overcoming technical difficulties to develop the aquaculture industry

The mussel breeding zone of Gouqi Island is called “marine pasture”. This mussel breeding zone with an area of about 153,000 acres is expected to breed 85,000 tons of mussels this year. It is the new “blue ocean” for fishermen of Gouqi Island.

This year, the Island has successively taken measures to rectify some disorderly breeding and further expand the breeding area. At the same time, the “mussel fishing moratorium” was introduced for the first time, and from April 15 to June 30, 2019, fishermen were prohibited to fishing mussels.

The control of the mussel breeding area is to recycle and better utilize the existing breeding environment to ensure the quality of mussels. The “mussel fishing moratorium” gave the mussels sufficient time to grow.

Substituting manpower with innovative machines to greatly improve deep processing

Not long ago, the fully automatic mussel unshelling production line was officially put into use.

The pace of innovation is also expanding in product form. When processors focus on mussel meat, entrepreneurs see value in mussel shells. After detoxifying the mussel shells, they crushed and processed them into feed additives and soil improvers. Some companies use mussel shells as raw materials to develop ecological detergents with certain adsorption and catalytic capabilities, which can effectively remove pesticides, heavy metals, waxy and other harmful substances on the surface of fruits and vegetables. This innovation not only increases the value of mussel shells but also effectively solves the problem of environmental pollution caused by the random dumping of mussel shells.

Extending the entire industry chain to boost the island tourism

The method to gather the popularity of Gouqi Island is to use mussels to boost special island tourism.

There are unique viewing platforms on scenic spots on mountains and seas and the roads of Ganxie Village. Visitors can view and take photos on the platforms where the scenery is excellent. Visitors can also get close to the marine pasture. While more and more local islanders are engaged in tourism, Gouqi Island has attracted many foreign investors. The Mussel Culture Festival has been held on the island for 4 consecutive years, which has vitalized the island and greatly enhanced the island’s popularity.

From aquaculture to processing, to island tourism, the three weapons of Gouqi Island have turned the small mussels into a prosperous industry which stimulated the island’s vitality.

Executive Editor: Xu Bei

Translation: Xu Bei, Chen Wenjing