This mountain and water are like my parents. 

Burmie Wong / Host

I am here at Longyang Gorge in Qinghai Province, China’s primary freshwater salmon-producing area. Today, I’m joining local fishermen to observe the salmon catching process.

Xue Xin / Head of quality department of a salmon company

It is a very large reservoir, covering 383 square kilometers and holding 24.7 billion cubic meters of water. Fed by the upper reaches of the Yellow River (Huang He) and meltwater from snow mountains, the reservoir is ideal for raising rainbow trout, a type of salmon. We currently maintain an annual yield of around 10,000 tons.

X: Rainbow trout thrives in cold-water, and the average water temperature here is around 12 degrees Celsius year-round. The water quality of the reservoir is excellent which greatly inpacts all aspects of the breeding quality. Our company has been cultivating this fish for 16 years.  

Our company is often referred to as the gold standard of salmon industry. Many managers in the salmon and trout sectors began their careers in our company. They have since taken our advanced technology to major farms nationwide, collaborating to further develop this industry.

There are more than 200 cages distributed across the vast reservoir. These cages utilize automated modern fishery breeding methods to enhance the efficiency and management of the fish farming process.

X: Now we just flip the fish suction rod pipe, we can lift the fish directly. Each net typically holds about 1,000 fish, averaging around 4 kilograms before evisceration, which provides the highest economic benefit ratio. The process involves an electric shock, followed by cutting the gills.

B: How long does the whole process take?

X: Within a minute.

X: We were the first company in China to breed these fish in large-scale open-water cages. We began expanding in 2008. Initially, we had to learn how to operate large-scale open-water cages, as there was no prior experience in China. We looked at other domestic fish farming practices for reference, and we primarily relied on advanced technologies from abroad, including a complete set of breeding techniques from Norway. We then absorbed, digested, and adapted these technologies to make them our own.

Xue Xin from the production department is originally from Jiangsu and moved to Qinghai in 2012. He has witnessed the evolution of domestic salmon technology from its inception to an advanced stage. He is one of the very few non-local employees in this salmon company, with 95% of the workforce are local hires. While on the fishing platform, we met Feng Tinggui, captain of the salmon operation team.

Feng Tinggui / Captain of operation team of a salmon company

F: Before joining the company, I was catching wild stock here. At that time, I thought I’d work here to gain some skills and eventually to set up my own small business. However, after working here, I was impressed by the company’s platform. As a result, I ended up working here for fifteen or sixteen years.

F: When I visited our village two years ago, people called me a ‘traitor.’ That was true at the time, as they all wanted to kick the company out. But now, many villagers are employed here. The surrounding villagers benefited greatly, leading them to change their minds.

F: After joining this industry, I no longer have to worry about family expenses. As my family's financial situation gradually improved, it boosted my confidence.

Longyang Gorge Reservoir is the largest salmon breeding base in China, providing more than half of the nation's salmon supply. and exporting to Southeast Asia, Europe, and the United States. This significant fish production is made possible by advanced fishery technology. This AKVA platform allows for fully automated feeding and monitoring, improving operational efficiency and creating optimal conditions for fish growth.

Li Mingrui / Head of production department of a salmon company

L: This system is primarily designed to optimize our feeding efficiency. Its main function is to determine the daily feeding amount based on water temperature and dissolved oxygen levels, automatically generating the precise feeding quantity needed each day. In the future, we aim to develop a self-sustaining fish farm that requires no human monitoring or guarding.

It only takes two hours to catch a fish, return it to the factory for cleaning, processing, and shiping it out. Salmon from Longyang Gorge is the first domestically produced salmon approved for export to Europe. Good mountains and clear waters nurture exceptional fish. The delicious salmon produced in Qinghai has become a delicacy on dining tables worldwide, delighting even the fussiest diners. In conversations with the interviewees, I realized they have invested significant effort and innovation in this industry.

This commitment to excellence has transformed plateau fisheries into an industrialized and technologically advanced field. The local community is the biggest beneficiary of this industrial development. Captain Feng, who was once regarded as financially disadvantaged, is now celebrated as a trailblazer. He has witnessed the industry’s impact on local incomes, and community prosperity has truly been a testament to ‘common prosperity for everyone.’