Tens of thousands of tonnes of salmon raised in Karasu township, Nilka county, Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, have found their way to dinner tables both in China and around the world over the past decade.

Li Chunyu, general manager of Xinjiang Tianyun Organic Agriculture Co., Ltd., said the company took the initiative to reduce farming density to ensure salmon quality.

Li's confidence comes from Xinjiang's coldwater resources, which are clear and oxygen-rich.

Photo shows the salmon farm of Xinjiang Tianyun Organic Agriculture Co., Ltd. in Karasu township, Nilka county, Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Li Xinyang)

"Domestic and foreign dealers give high praise to our salmon because the growing conditions of our variety are very demanding, which guarantees the quality of our salmon," Li said

In addition to unique natural resources, innovation is the "magic weapon" behind the company's success in salmon farming.

The company developed an environmentally-friendly net cage farming system and took the lead in formulating China's first local standard for environmentally-friendly net cages. It also developed and applied the country's first underwater cleaning robot. In addition, it was also the first in the country to build a semi-enclosed recirculating aquaculture system.

"For example, the environmentally-friendly net cage farming system solved the pollution problem of traditional net cages, promoting adjustments to relevant national policies and opening up a path for the sustainable development of the industry," Li said.

In recent years, the company has obtained certifications such as the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification of the Global Aquaculture Alliance, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) Global Standard certification, antibiotic-free certification, and the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) certification.

Photo shows environmentally-friendly net cages of the salmon farm of Xinjiang Tianyun Organic Agriculture Co., Ltd. in Karasu township, Nilka county, Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Li Xinyang)

Currently, the company is able to breed 40 million salmon fry every year, and its annual production capacity of salmon has reached 12,000 tonnes. It has built a complete salmon industrial chain including research and development, fry breeding, intelligent farming, deep processing and sales.

In 2023, Xinjiang produced 6,700 tonnes of high-quality salmon, accounting for one-third of China's inland salmon production. The salmon industry has helped over 3,000 people find jobs.

The salmon industry is a microcosm of Xinjiang's efforts to promote the high-quality development of the fishery sector. Last year, the output of Xinjiang's aquatic products reached 183,900 tonnes, ranking first among the five provincial-level regions in northwest China.