Smart fish farming boosts aquaculture in Xifeng

Fish are now being raised in land-based farming ponds, a practice that is becoming a reality in Guiyang's Xifeng county, with water temperature and dissolved oxygen monitored in real time and aeration equipment controlled remotely by smartphone.

A smart fishery breeding management system at a Xifeng farming pond. [Photo/xifeng.gov.cn]

Ninety ponds, with continuously flowing spring water, were built along the hillside at an aquaculture base in Xishan's Xiaobao village on Aug 19, allowing rainbow trout and sturgeon to thrive. Smart equipment monitors and regulates the farming environment, while a wastewater treatment system ensures that aquaculture wastewater is properly treated before discharge.

After cage fish farming in the Xifeng section of the Wujiang River was phased out in late 2017, Xifeng turned to land-based aquaculture, utilizing its abundant high-quality cold-water resources. The county has now built 11 standardized ecological aquaculture bases, helping 305 people increase their incomes.

The base currently produces more than 500 metric tons of marketable fish annually, generating over 12 million yuan ($1.78 million) in annual output value, selling its rainbow trout and sturgeon in cities including Shanghai and Qinhuangdao.