With a Comprehensive Blue Economy Plan, the World is Rushan's Oyster

The China Oyster Industry International Forum opened on April 21 in Rushan, Shandong province, gathering more than 200 prominent marine ecology experts and scholars from home and abroad and influential Chinese entrepreneurs in aquaculture. During the forum, academic seminars, exchanges of technical know-how and experiences revolved around the sustainable development and security of the oyster industry.

The forum was co-sponsored by the Institute of Oceanology, a research unit under the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Oyster Industry of China (Rushan) with Rushan designated as the permanent hosting site. The forum seeks to elevate the global status of China’s oyster industry, establish a platform for scientific and technological research and development, and promote the transformation of Rushan into a town characterized by a globally competitive oyster industry and vibrant blue economy. By balancing the traditional and emerging sectors, a healthy and sustainable marine economy will be created in the region. 

At the opening ceremony of the forum, Zhou Bing, Party Secretary of Rushan Municipal Party Committee remarked that "the China Oyster Industry International Forum has become a flourishing platform for international marine economic development and exchange, and its insights will usher in new ideas and horizons for the further development of the oyster industry in Rushan, the launch of the Rushan Oyster brand and the development of the region’s marine economy.”

Professor Pierre Boudry from the French Institute of Marine Development expressed his high opinion of the quality of Rushan oysters. “The quality of oysters is directly affected by the marine environment,” he said. “The ecological environment in Rushan is excellent and the current in the sea is smooth. Oysters produced in this area score impressively in such criteria as size and an absence of fertilizer and other trace elements. ”

In order to realize the healthy and sustainable development of its oyster industry, Rushan has formulated ten Opinions on the development and protection of the Rushan Oyster brand, established the first national oyster quality and safety management system, and boosted the brand’s popularity and influence nationwide. Statistics indicate that in the past three years, the price of fresh oysters produced in Rushan has risen sharply. Such items as frozen oyster meat, half shell oysters and canned oysters from Rushan can now fetch more than double the price of their peers produced elsewhere. Rushan oysters have become a highly-sought after item on the dinner plates of residents not only in Guangzhou and other mainland cities but also in Hong Kong, Macao, Japan, South Korea and 15 other countries and regions.

Professor Guo Ximing, a veteran researcher of shellfish production technology for over 30 years, said that “the forum served not only an academic event, but also a ‘tasting’. Through field visits, I have gained a new understanding of the quality of oysters and the scale of industrial development, especially measures adopted by local governments to develop marine pastures through industrial funds. I think it is of great significance to the development of the marine economy. ”

The marine pastures offer a glimpse into the current high-quality development of the marine economy in Rushan. On the basis of a thorough canvassing of the sea area, Rushan rolled out an overall plan for the utilization of land and sea resources and a preliminary implementation plan for modern marine pastures. The plans were formulated in accordance with the principles of “unified planning, unified technical specifications, unified quality standards and unified geographic identification” and “one base five centers” with the aim of creating a marine pasture demonstration area spanning some 48 million mu (32,000 square kilometers).

This year, Rushan will focus its efforts on attracting foreign investment, introducing a fiberglass engineering vessel, establishing marine facilities and the construction of a purification logistics center, a technical service center, a marketing center and a breeding base, among others, on land for the completion of the first phase (100,000 mu) of the project. Meanwhile, the development of a bottom seeding proliferation area, artificial reef area and cage fish culture area are also in store.

The development of the region's blue economy hinges upon the ecological status of its coastal waters. In recent years, Rushan city led pioneering efforts in establishing a coastal protection zone and ecological restoration mechanism. Through compliance with the coastal “ecological red line”, preservation of the golden coastline, accelerated construction of marine pastures and a slew of other measures, the region's marine ecosystem has witnessed steady improvement.

“Relying on the scientific and technological support of the forum and the industry research institute, we will build Rushan into a

leading oyster technology research and development center and exporter not only domestically but also internationally through the recruitment of global talents and funds, so as to promote the development of China's oyster industry, realize the transformation of the traditional and emerging sectors of the marine economy and rural revitalization,” said Gong Bengao, Vice Party Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee and Mayor of Rushan.（Kevin）