Once considered a luxury reserved for special occasions, abalone has long been cherished for its tender texture and exquisite flavor. However, due to limited supply and high prices, it remained out of reach for many. Recognizing the potential for growth in the aquaculture sector, Lianjiang county in Fujian province embarked on a journey to revolutionize abalone farming.

By investing in research and development, experts collaborated to develop new abalone strains that are disease-resistant, temperature-resilient and large in size. These improved varieties not only thrive in various environments but also yield higher-quality abalone with enhanced taste and texture. To ensure the success of this endeavor, the government also offered subsidies to the local abalone industry.

The collective efforts have borne fruit as the abalone industry has prospered across the region. In 2020, China's abalone production surpassed 200,000 tons, accounting for more than 85 percent of the world's total. According to market-research firm Zhiyan Consulting, abalone production in Fujian accounted for 79.2 percent of China's total production in 2021 and Shandong province for 16.3 percent.

With increased production and improved quality, the market saw a significant drop in prices, making abalone more accessible to a broader range of consumers. More people can now savor its unique flavors and reap the nutritional benefits more frequently, fostering economic growth and rural vitalization.

New varieties

Lianjiang's abalone story began in 1989. But the industry fell into a slump in the late 1990s after the abalone suffered from disease. In response to the challenges, You Weiwei, a professor at the College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, began developing new varieties in 2003.

At that time, China had only two native abalone varieties, both of them sensitive to water temperature. Many abalones died in summer. To help abalones survive the season, farmers had to transport the abalone from the southern region to the north in April and take them back south at the end of November using live water vessels and vehicles. By doing so, the survival rates and quality of the abalone were improved. However, the 1,800-kilometer trip increased costs and there was the risk of the abalones dying from hypoxia.

You decided to change that. After six to seven years of research, a new variety of abalone, Dongyou No 1, was developed that had an increased disease resistance of 30 percent. Another new variety -Xipan abalone - had increased resistance to high temperature by 2.2 C, making abalone migration unnecessary and abalone farmers more confident about the industry.

You was not content to rest on his laurels. He wanted to increase the size of abalone. China's two native varieties were small, up to 100 grams at most. In response, You constructed a technical system of distant hybridization and bred a new variety- Lvpan abalone, which increased the weight of a single abalone to 200 grams after two years of breeding and 500 grams after four years.

In 2020, he won the first prize for science and technology progress of Fujian province, the only first prize for fisheries in Fujian in the past 10 years.

"After obtaining the national new variety certificate in 2018, our seedlings have covered the main abalone farming areas in China, and have been well recognized by farmers. We have produced dried abalone products that can be compared with the international market, and no longer need to import from abroad," said You.

As the abalone have grown larger, You successfully produced China's first batch of abalone pearls in March 2023.

"The color is very special. It's blue-green, even with a little purple. We hope to provide a new product for China's seawater pearl industry," He added.

You said next he wants to cultivate more new delicious abalone varieties to meet people's demand.

Increased consumption

The development of abalone breeding technologies means more people can afford the seafood.

According to a report by the Huajing Industrial Research Institute, abalone consumption in China increased from less than 150,000 tons in 2016 to 229,400 tons in 2022. In terms of consumption structure, fresh-eating accounts for 71.2 percent and deep processing 28.8 percent. It estimated that driven by deep processing, there is still room for abalone consumption growth in China.

In Fujian, Zheng Libin, who runs a seafood restaurant in Taijiang district, Fuzhou city, said abalone sales in 2023 were better than 2022.

"The main channel of abalone is Fujian's Lianjiang and Dongshan counties. Shandong province also produces abalone. But after December, its price will go up because of production drawdown. In 2022, the price of abalone was more than 120 yuan ($16.74) per kilogram and last year, it dropped to about 100 yuan. Because of that, more people ate abalone."

A man in Fuzhou, who only gave his surname Chen, said he likes to add abalones into the soup he cooks on weekends.

"The price has dropped in recent years. We buy vegetables through Pupu and Yonghui, two online instant delivery shopping platforms. Six abalones, ranging from 190 to 215 grams in total, cost only 22.98 yuan. In the past, we only ate abalone at festivals but now it's an everyday food. My family loves them," he added.

In Jinan, Shandong province, an over-50-year-old woman surnamed Wang said her family enjoys eating abalones, and she often buys them.

"It's a must-have dish during Spring Festival. In the high-end market in Jinan, abalone costs 120 to 140 yuan per kilogram, with four abalones per kilogram. There are also normal-sized ones that cost 3 to 10 yuan each, depending on their size," she added.

A man surnamed Jia works in Beijing as a photographer. He is a big fan of the delicious mollusks. "When I have dinner with my friends, abalone is one of our favorite choices. If I buy it from the digital retail platforms such as Missfresh or Freshippo, they will be 16.9 yuan and 9.9 yuan each respectively, much cheaper than at the vegetable market," he added.

Industry support

The abalone industry is booming thanks to the improved abalone breeding and increased consumption demand. After more than 30 years, the industry in Lianjiang has developed from traditional abalone farming to the formation of a complete industry chain that integrates seedling, farming, processing, sales, and tourism. The industry has shifted from independent operations to joint development, achieving the transformation of the abalone industry from product operation to brand economy. Since 2010, Lianjiang has become the largest abalone farming county in China.

In 2023, the county had 12 abalone processing production lines in total, with an annual processing capacity of over 8,200 tons, generating an output value of about 900 million yuan. The processed products include dried abalone, frozen abalone, canned abalone, pre-made abalone dishes, and leisure ready-to-eat products.

Fujian Fengyun Abalone Co Ltd, the only company in China that boasts whole abalone industrial chains, began its business in 1998.

At the seedling and breeding end of the industry chain, it has built three abalone breeding bases, with an annual output of 60 million abalone fry. The breeding bases in Lianjiang, and Shandong's Rongcheng produce 1000 tons.

In the processing part of the industry chain, it has built China's first automatic abalone processing production line and China's first abalone prefabricated dish research and innovation center. Its annual frozen abalone production capacity and deep processing capacity are worth more than 1 billion yuan, and 500 million yuan respectively.

To sell its product, it set up live abalone distribution centers in Lianjiang and Rongcheng to deliver live abalone to all parts of the country. At present, it has covered more than 50 first-tier and second-tier cities, forming a nationwide sales network.

To help local farmers with abalone breeding, the company, in collaboration with the local government and bank, released a project to help local abalone farmers in 2021. Led by the Lianjiang government, universities provided technological support for seedlings and farming techniques. The bank provided funding, while the company acted as a guarantor for the cooperative farmers to secure loans from the bank and also provided sales channels for their abalone.

"As of 2021, this model has provided 35.6 million yuan of specialized financing for 46 abalone farmers, effectively addressing the financing difficulties faced by the abalone farmers, stabilizing sales channels and connecting the abalone farming supply, production, and sales chains," said Xiao Liangdong, president of Fujian Fengyun Abalone Co Ltd.

Besides, it established a livestreaming base in 2022 to help local farmers with abalone sales by using new sales channels, such as short videos and livestreaming.

Local governments also attach great importance to the abalone industry. In 2020, Lianjiang introduced several policies to help the industry's development. It provides subsidies to companies providing storage facilities in refrigeration houses or opening wholesale abalone stores, expands sales channels by working with Yonghui, New Huadu, Walmart and other large supermarket enterprises, and uses QR code to monitor food quality.

Offshore aquaculture platforms also play an important role in promoting sustainable development. On October 26, 2018, China's first mechanized breeding platform for abalone, Zhenbao No 1, was put into use in Dongluo Island in Lianjiang, marking a milestone in modernization of the domestic abalone farming industry, Fuzhou Daily reported.

The breeding platform can accommodate nearly 5,000 abalone breeding boxes, with an expected annual yield of about 12 tons. It achieved full mechanization of bait delivery, release, and net lifting and lowering. At the same time, the Zhenbao No 1 expands the scope of abalone farming from the nearshore area 200 meters offshore to the outer sea area 3 kilometers away, where the average water depth is 30 meters, and the seawater is clear and has high oxygen content, which will significantly improve the quality and growth rate of abalone. In addition, the equipment takes full advantage of the abundant natural resources at sea, incorporating a wind power generation system to provide green energy for abalone farming, making it energy-efficient and environmentally friendly.

Financial and technical support to Lianjiang has helped its abalone industry reach a new high. "In 2023, the annual output value of the abalone industry in Lianjiang is expected to reach 5.656 billion yuan," said Hu Jian, director of the Lianjiang bureau of oceans and fisheries.

Zhao Ruixue contributed to this story.