South American eel swims into the Dabie Mountains

More than 20 years ago, the eel industry in Huoshan County was thriving, but later quietly fell silent due to market and financial difficulties. Now, a batch of eel seedlings that have traveled far from the other side of the earth are restarting the eel industry in Huoshan County.

What kind of changes has eel farming in Huoshan County undergone, from coastal fishing to cross-border introduction, from industry shutdown to restart and recovery? Recently, reporters went to the county for investigation and interviews.

Following the Piyuan Canal that leads from the Fuziling Reservoir, a dark breeding greenhouse comes into view. Eels prefer shade and have strict requirements for water temperature, which must be controlled between 18 degrees Celsius and 26 degrees Celsius. They only turn on the lights when feeding on food on weekdays. "Ban Wei, the person in charge of Baoyuan Aquaculture Co., Ltd. in Huoshan County, used a flashlight to illuminate the fish pond. Through the clear water, the reporter saw eels that were only the length of a little finger and the thickness of chopsticks gathering at the bottom of the pond.

These are 1.2 million American eel seedlings we imported from South America, and they are growing very well, "said Banwei. The company currently raises 4 million American eels.

It is reported that as early as 2003, there were six or seven eel farms in Huoshan County that raised Asian eels. Around 2020, due to market fluctuations and funding issues, these farms gradually closed down. Until 2023, the county seized the opportunity again and attracted investors from Fujian, which revitalized the eel industry.

As a migratory fish, eel fry cannot be artificially cultivated and can only be caught along the coast and transported to the inland for aquaculture. After the eel farm in Huoshan County resumed operation, it boldly introduced South American eel fry into the Dabie Mountains for aquaculture.

Compared to traditional Asian eels, there is no significant difference in taste between South American eels, but the price of fry is relatively cheap, only one-third of the latter. Huoshan County has beautiful mountains and clear waters, and excellent water quality is the most important foundation for eel farming, "said Ban Wei. In the past, the company purchased South American eel fry from foreign traders, but as the farming technology gradually matured, it began to try importing eel fry independently to further reduce the cost of seedling procurement.

For enterprises, independently importing eel fry is a new challenge. This is the first time that our province has imported eel seedlings from South America. The customs took the initiative to provide advanced services and established a special working group to provide 'one-on-one' full process assistance and guidance for enterprises. Zheng Feng, Deputy Director of Lu'an Customs, said that they assisted enterprises in sorting out the process of applying for the 'Entry Animal and Plant Quarantine License', carefully checking the export country's access qualifications and official quarantine certificates, and ensuring that all procedures were legal and compliant.

Imported eel fry require the construction of isolation and quarantine sites. Customs officers have conducted multiple on-site inspections, including site layout, installation of water quality monitoring equipment, standardization of disinfection and epidemic prevention processes, and provision of breeding facilities. They have put forward professional rectification suggestions to ensure that the isolation sites fully comply with the quarantine standards for imported aquatic animals. The customs also take measures such as real-time tracking of transportation routes, priority inspection and release to fully ensure the survival rate of eel seedlings.

1.2 million fry, after 14 days of quarantine, the loss is minimal, "said Ban Wei. In 2026, the company plans to import another 30 million fry of South American eels, which can be raised by itself or sold to surrounding eel farming bases.

After reaching full production this year, Banwei's enterprise will produce 800 tons of eel annually. Based on current prices, the estimated output value is over 50 million yuan. Next, they plan to build an eel processing plant and strive to export live eels and processed eel products. (Reporter Yuan Ye)