Xinjiang achieves breakthrough in artificial breeding of saltwater-tolerant river crabs

Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily (Reporter Ma Boyu) news: On September 8, 2026, the first batch of locally bred juvenile river crab seedlings, produced through fully artificial breeding in saline-alkali water, was released into Wuqiagou Reservoir in Fuyun County, Altay Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The milestone marks a shift in Xinjiang's river crab breeding from natural reproduction to a fully controllable artificial process, representing a key breakthrough in the region's crab breeding technology.

The first batch of local juvenile river crabs, artificially bred entirely in saline-alkali water, is released into the Wuqiagou Reservoir in Fuyun County, Altay Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on September 8, 2026. (Photo by Aydana Talapbek)

Fuyun County is home to the Irtysh and Ulungur river systems, with an annual runoff of 4.435 billion cubic meters. The county has 20 reservoirs and 47 square kilometers of usable water area, giving it abundant saline-alkali water resources and natural conditions for developing a distinctive fishery.

However, for years, most of the region's crab seedlings were brought in from outside Xinjiang. Long-distance transport caused significant losses, and the seedlings adapted poorly to local water conditions, holding back the industry's expansion.

"We started breeding trials locally last year," said Li Bin, associate professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Xinjiang Agricultural University. In 2025, the team tested a "natural breeding with human-assisted release" model in local saline-alkali waters, preliminarily confirming the feasibility of large-scale crab breeding in such conditions. The survival rate of the trial crabs exceeded 90 percent, with an average weight of over 20 grams, providing valuable experience for further technical work.

In April 2026, the team adjusted the saline-alkali water environment for different growth stages of the crabs and carried out precise, full-process regulation of key indicators including water temperature, salinity, and alkalinity. They successfully established an artificial breeding technology system for river crabs in saline-alkali water. In May of the same year, Xinjiang's first research center for artificial river crab breeding was established locally.

To date, the research team, working with Xinjiang Keke Snow Crab Biotechnology Co., Ltd., has bred over 80 tons of local juvenile crabs.

Li said the seedlings released this time were produced entirely under controlled conditions, demonstrating that the full chain of artificial breeding technology for river crabs in Xinjiang's saline-alkali water has been verified. The bottleneck in localizing seedling breeding is being resolved. Next, the team will continue tracking the growth performance, survival rate, and quality indicators of the released crabs to establish a standardized technical parameter system for saline-alkali water crab farming.

Fuyun County will continue to deepen collaboration among universities, local government, and enterprises to tap the potential of saline-alkali water fisheries, moving the distinctive fishery from pilot demonstration to industrialization. The goal is to create a replicable and scalable model for aquaculture in saline-alkali waters, providing a practical reference for similar regions.

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