Luannan county in Tangshan, Hebei province, about 200 kilometers southeast of Beijing, is profiting from puffer fish.
It has more than 40 km of coastline and more than 80,000 hectares of offshore sea area, providing natural advantages as a fishery, the local government said. It has formed a complete industrial chain related to puffer fish — breeding, raising, processing and sales.
The county produces more than 10,000 metric tons of puffer fish each year and exports nearly 8,000 metric tons to foreign countries, including Japan and South Korea, according to the government of Nanpu town, where the puffer fish industry is centered.
The export volume accounts for 70 percent of Hebei's total, making it the largest base by volume for raising and exporting puffer fish in the province.
The meat of puffer fish is tender and rich in protein, vitamins and amino acids. However, the fish is also known for its tetrodotoxin, a poison that scares many customers away.
"After being domesticated, it can get rid of the tetrodotoxin under controlled ecological conditions," said Zhao Linzheng, head of the production department at Tangshan Haidu Seafood Co.
Artificial breeding helps prevent the puffers from eating shellfish and algae at sea — a diet that produces toxic substances.
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