Current Development and Prospects of Pond Smelt (Hypomesus olidus) Farming Industry in China

The pond smelt (Hypomesus olidus), originally transplanted from North Korea, was introduced to China in 1938 and gradually distributed to various areas of China. The pond smelt was the first fish species introduced to the water of China. It not only has the function of protecting water quality, and also has high economic and nutritional values which are helpful for diversifying the fishery productive activities of China. The present review analyzed the transplantation and production status of pond smelt in China, described the key situations and factors influencing the establishment and current level of aquaculture development. Since its introduction, the pond smelt transplantation in China was distributed in Northeast of China. From the 1980s, reservoirs and lakes all over China began to transplant pond smelt, and the transplantation of pond smelt went into the outbreak period. In order to improve the efficiency of transplantation, scientific and technical personnel studied the simple and practical technology of artificial breeding and transplantation, the medicine for preventing and controlling saprolegniasis which often leads to death of fertilized eggs. To meet the demand of market, more and more pond smelt processing products have been studied and developed, such as grilled, milk flavor, fish sauce, ham-sausage, and brew vinegar of pond smelt. The pond smelt farming in China has broad prospects development, yet there are also challenges to overcome. It is recommended to take proper policies for pond smelt development, strengthen pond smelt scientific research, transplantation technology training, establish pond smelt fisheries association, support dominant enterprises, and implement brand strategy.