On Jan 6, crab farmers started to catch crabs in an area covering about 3500 mu (233 hectares) in the Dazong Lake aquiculture area in Xinghua – the county-level city, administered by the prefecture-level city of Taizhou in East China's Jiangsu province.
As the Spring Festival draws near, crabs caught in winter come onto the market. Those caught at this time are said to have a better look and are of a high quality, so market prices are also higher.
Xinghua, a well-known land given over to fish and rice cultivation, boasts a river crab farming area of 630,000 mu, with annual output of about 67,000 metric tons.
At present, river crab farming has become an important sector for locals in their bid to achieve prosperity.
Crab farmers get busy bringing in their catch with nets. [Photo/js.people.com.cn]
A happy farmhand proudly shows her newly caught crabs. [Photo/js.people.com.cn]
A wide view of the crab aquiculture area. [Photo/js.people.com.cn]