China has the world's largest variety of aquaculture germplasm resources
The Fisheries and Fishery Administration of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs recently released the results of the first national survey of aquaculture germplasm resources, including excellent characteristic germplasm resources and newly cultivated varieties. The census results show that China has the world's largest variety of aquaculture germplasm resources and rich genetic diversity. These resources contain excellent genes, laying a genetic foundation for cultivating new aquatic varieties with different phenotypes and distinctive economic traits.
It is reported that in March 2021, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs launched the first national survey of aquaculture germplasm resources, conducting a comprehensive survey of aquaculture germplasm resources nationwide. After three years of hard work, the number, regional distribution, and characteristic characteristics of aquaculture germplasm resources in China were comprehensively identified, and the resource base was clarified.
A total of 857 germplasm resources were surveyed in this census, classified by resource types such as original species, varieties, and introduced species, with 558, 209, and 90, respectively; According to the types of resources such as freshwater fish, saltwater fish, shrimp and crab, shellfish, algae, amphibians, reptiles, echinoderms, and others, there are 404, 124, 62, 136, 41, 62, 14, and 14, respectively. Among them, Yangtze River swordfish, catfish, Chinese sturgeon, black spot catfish, yellow lipped fish, yellowfin tuna, golden lobster, Chinese round snails, Chinese horseshoe crabs, and red hairy vegetables; The Qinling fine scaled salmon, Wa's yarotfish, silk tailed catfish, Luo's bream, yellowfin spiny bream, four fingered horse mackerel, yellow striped catfish, olive clam, Northeast forest frog, and single ring spiny bream have excellent characteristic features and have been selected as the "Top Ten Excellent Characteristic Aquaculture Germplasm Resources" by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
Excellent characteristic aquaculture germplasm resources are the "Top Ten Excellent Characteristic Aquaculture Germplasm Resources" selected from numerous germplasm resources surveyed by the agricultural and rural departments in 2021 and 2022. Some have played an important role in restoring biodiversity, some have outstanding characteristics that can be used for scientific research and breeding, some have the potential for industrial promotion, and some have obvious regional characteristics. The Varroa fish has high salt alkali adaptability and is one of the important resources for studying salt alkali tolerance mechanisms and cultivating salt alkali tolerant varieties. Huangtiao, a high-end edible marine fish, has become one of the resources with great potential for development in deep-sea aquaculture. The Northeast Forest Frog adopts a production method that combines aquaculture and animal husbandry, which has both edible and medicinal value, and is a carrier of local cultural memory in the Northeast region.
Good varieties come from good resources, especially those with excellent traits such as high yield, disease resistance, stress resistance, and high quality, which are essential materials for breeding work. The vigorous development of China's crucian carp industry is mainly due to the discovery and utilization of resources such as "silver crucian carp". Based on abundant germplasm resources, the results of this census announced 54 new aquatic species cultivated and approved nationwide from 2021 to 2023, including 20 freshwater fish, 7 marine fish, 10 shrimp and crab, 11 shellfish, 2 algae, 1 turtle, and 3 echinoderms, effectively promoting the transformation of resource advantages into industrial advantages.
Liu Xinzhong, Director of the Fisheries and Fishery Administration Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, stated that China is the world's largest aquaculture country with a wide variety of aquaculture species. In recent years, some investigations and collections of breeding germplasm resources have been conducted in breeding research. However, due to limited conditions, a nationwide systematic survey of germplasm resources has not yet been carried out. This is the first time it has been conducted, and the survey is only limited to breeding germplasm. A large number of wild resources may not have been involved yet. Over the past three years, more than 70000 census takers across the country have entered villages and households, went to mudflat and lakes, successfully completed various census tasks, comprehensively found out the family background of China's aquaculture germplasm resources, and compiled and printed the National Catalogue of Species of Aquaculture Germplasm Resources (2023 Edition) and the Report on the Status of National Aquaculture Germplasm Resources. The results of this census are rich, reflected in the following three aspects.
Firstly, the national aquaculture germplasm resources have been identified for the first time. In 2013, the research group for the sustainable development strategy of China's aquaculture industry proposed that the number of aquaculture species in China had increased from a few in the past to over 200. This census conducted a systematic investigation of 312 key germplasm resources and carried out a "dragnet" survey of germplasm resources in 2780 county-level regions across the country. The 857 germplasm resources surveyed were divided into eight categories: freshwater fish, marine fish, shrimp and crab, shellfish, algae, as well as amphibians, reptiles, echinoderms, and other species, belonging to 155 families, 369 genera, and 643 species, including 558 original species, 209 varieties, and 90 introduced species. It ranks first in the world in terms of the quantity of germplasm resources, species, and varieties.
Secondly, for the first time, the distribution of aquaculture germplasm resources in different regions across the country has been clarified. According to the census, overall, the distribution of germplasm resources in coastal provinces of China is higher than that in inland provinces, and higher in southern provinces than in northern provinces. Guangdong, Zhejiang, Guangxi, and Fujian all have more than 300 germplasm resources, with Guangdong having the highest, reaching 374. The distribution of germplasm resources is basically consistent with the existing aquaculture production and industrial situation in various regions, which objectively reflects the conclusion that germplasm resources are an important foundation for industrial development. In addition, traditional aquaculture provinces such as Jilin, Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Yunnan have over 100 species of germplasm resources, with Yunnan reaching 240 species. The aquaculture production in Hunan and Hubei is more than 10 times that of Guizhou, but the quantity of germplasm resources is only 1.5 times that of Guizhou. This indicates that there is still significant development space and potential in aquaculture in these regions.
The third is the first time that the bottom line of aquaculture entities in the country has been identified. Aquaculture in our country started with pond farming mode, and the breeding sites are basically in front of and behind houses. The breeding subject is individual investors, and the specific quantity is not accurately controlled. This census not only clarified the germplasm resources of aquaculture, but also adopted the method of synchronously investigating the germplasm resources and the main units where the germplasm resources are located, clarifying the geographical coordinates of the aquaculture entities. A total of 920000 aquaculture entities and more than 20000 aquatic seedling production entities were surveyed nationwide. For the first time, accurate grasp of basic information data such as the geographical location of aquaculture entities has been achieved, and for the first time, national aquaculture entities and live germplasm conservation entities have obtained "digital identity cards", providing a strong decision-making basis for aquaculture supervision and the construction of germplasm resource protection systems.