‘Seafood’ grown in Xinjiang desert reaches local dinner tables

On the southern edge of the Taklimakan Desert, workers are raising Australian freshwater spiny lobsters, Chinese mitten crabs, whiteleg shrimp, and perch. The aquaculture base sits far from China’s coast, in Hetian county in Xinjiang’s Hetian prefecture.

The nearly 67-hectare operation began construction in 2024 on saline-alkali desert land. Wang Hui, who heads the aquatic farming base in Tolganj village, said the products are mainly intended for local markets. Previously, much of the area’s aquatic produce arrived by air from coastal provinces. Local products now cost 15 to 20 percent less, Wang said.

Hetian has access to rivers fed by snow and ice melt from the Kunlun Mountains, while deserts and Gobi areas cover 63 percent of the prefecture’s land. The saline soil suits mitten crabs, and the region’s abundant sunlight supports their molting.

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Starting in 2024, we built an aquaculture base covering nearly 67 hectares on saline-alkali desert land, raising species including Chinese mitten crab, whiteleg shrimp, Australian “freshwater lobster,” and common perch, mainly to supply local markets.

Farmers had to reduce the salinity and alkalinity of the ponds to support a wider range of species. They planted aquatic vegetation, added microorganisms and used freshwater to bring the water’s pH down to between 7.5 and 8.5. During periods of plentiful water, they divert river water from the nearby Yurungkax River into the ponds. Farmers add water during daily operations rather than replacing it completely, while plants and microorganisms help purify the ponds through natural cycles.

The base tested crablets from Jiangsu, Anhui, Guangdong, and other regions. After repeated breeding trials, farmers selected varieties with stronger tolerance to saline-alkali conditions. Trial farming began in April 2024, and an 18-tonne crab harvest generated nearly two million yuan, or about $147,574, in output value.

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Previously, most aquatic products had to be transported by air from coastal provinces. Now these local products are 15 to 20 per cent cheaper, making a wider variety of products available on local people’s dining tables.