Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture Overview — Agriculture (Part 4)
Section 4 Fisheries. From the Ming and Qing dynasties to the Republic of China period, local people used shaded, deep-mud valley fields unfit for farming as ponds, or raised several "domestic fish" such as grass carp, silver carp and common carp, along with "wild fish" such as crucian carp and loach, in paddy fields with good water conditions. There were few fishing households and catches were small. In 1949 the prefecture's 10 counties produced 825.5 tons of aquatic products...
This article has been compiled from historical materials in the "Zhangjiajie Tour Guide Network" (33519.com · City Overview section). Some administrative divisions, population, socioeconomic data, and policy information may be outdated and are for reference only; for the latest situation, please refer to official releases by the local government and scenic areas.
Section 4 Fishery
From the Ming and Qing dynasties to the Republic of China period, people in the region used valley-shaded, cold, and deep-mud fields unsuitable for cultivation to impound water into ponds, or used some rice fields with good water source conditions to raise several types of "domestic fish" such as grass carp, silver carp, and common carp, as well as "wild fish" such as crucian carp and loach. There were not many fishing households, and the catch output was not large. In 1949, the 10 counties of the prefecture produced 825.5 tons of aquatic products, of which aquaculture output was 203.7 tons, river fishing was 621.8 tons, and the pond and reservoir fish-farming water surface was 400 hectares.
After the founding of New China, prefectural and county governments established fishery management agencies, built fry breeding bases, restored and developed rice-field fish farming, focused on small water surfaces, and actively developed fish farming in large water surfaces. After the 1980s, the market economy and the promotion of fishery through science and technology stimulated farmers' enthusiasm for fish farming. Cage fish farming, flowing-water fish farming, modeled rice-field fish farming, and famous, special, and high-quality aquaculture were rapidly promoted in the prefecture, and fishery production entered a period of sustained development. In 2005, the entire prefecture had 97,500 mu of stocking water surface, 12,610 mu of large water surface development, 6,500 cages for cage fish farming with an area of 203,900 square meters, 551,100 mu of rice-field fish farming, 910 mu of promoted famous, special, and high-quality aquaculture area, 18,500 tons of aquatic product output, and a fishery output value of 184 million yuan.
I. Fry Breeding
Black carp, grass carp, silver carp, bighead carp, and common carp are the main traditional aquaculture species in the prefecture. Before the founding of New China, because breeding techniques had not been mastered, fry sources were solved through long-distance trafficking. In 1959, the policy of "common carp as the leader, combined with black carp, grass carp, silver carp, and bighead carp, breeding locally, cultivating locally, and stocking locally" was proposed, adopting both natural egg collection and artificial incubation to develop fry production. Artificial breeding of common carp, black carp, grass carp, silver carp, and bighead carp fry successively succeeded, thus ending the long history of relying on fry transferred from other places. From 1958 to 1995, with the support of the state and the Hunan Provincial Aquatic Products Bureau, 13 state-owned fry and fingerling farms (stations) were successively built, with an area of 47.5 hectares. In addition, there were 10 supporting fingerling farms for large and medium-sized reservoirs, with an area of 23 hectares; 10 collective fry and fingerling farms, with an area of 11.7 hectares, forming fry and fingerling breeding bases with state-owned seedling farms as the main body. In addition, 1 special aquaculture farm was built, covering 5 mu, with an aquaculture water surface of 2.8 mu, and successively introduced, bred, and promoted the aquaculture techniques of Chinese soft-shelled turtle, American bullfrog, yellow catfish, channel catfish, and Pengze crucian carp. The seedlings for special aquaculture not only met supply within the prefecture but were also sold to Sichuan, Chongqing, Hubei, Zhejiang, and other places.
II. Rice-Field Fish Farming
According to research, rice-field fish farming in Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture began in the Tang Dynasty. By the Republic of China period, it had spread throughout the prefecture, but feeding and management were extensive, science and technology were backward, and most followed the traditional farming method of "release fry in spring, eat fingerlings in autumn," with a yield of 7-8 kilograms per mu.
In 1965, Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture was listed as a "rice-field and pond/reservoir fish-farming area" in Hunan Province, with priority given to developing rice-field fish farming. In the 1980s, rice-field fish farming promoted "ridge rice and ditch fish" and "ditch-pit modeled fish farming," beginning to change the traditional fish-farming habit of "stocking by people, growing by nature, extensive farming with low yield." The main work of "ditch-pit modeled fish farming" was digging ditches and pits, with the ditch-pit area accounting for 3%-4% of the rice-field area. The workload was not large, the investment was not much, the benefits were good, and it was easy for the masses to accept.
During the "Ninth Five-Year Plan" to "Tenth Five-Year Plan" periods, the focus was on developing modeled rice-field fish farming and the fish-rice double-thousand project. The main measures were: "adhere to six changes" and achieve "six in place." Six changes: change traditional flat-panel fish farming to field-pit-ditch modeled rearing; change single species to rational mixed culture of multiple species; change the release of newly hatched fry to the release of large-sized spring fingerlings or summer fry; change the release of conventional species to the release of improved species; change single production of market-size fish to simultaneous rearing of market-size fish and fingerlings; and change stocking by people and growing by nature to artificial feeding and intensive culture. Six in place: leadership demonstration at pilot sites in place, plan implementation in place, fund raising in place, technical services in place, seedling supply in place, and project quality standards in place. The "Double Thousand" project refers to a rice-field fish-rice project with 1,000 jin of rice per mu and 1,000 yuan of fishery output value. It was subsequently developed into the "Three Thousand" project on the basis of the "Double Thousand" project, striving to plant melons, vegetables, and fruits on field ridges to increase income by 1,000 yuan. In 2001, this project was implemented in 12 townships, 17 villages, 39 villager groups, and 738 farming households, including Sanliwan Village, Qiliangqiao Township, Fenghuang County; Yangmeng Village, Aizhai Town, Jishou City; and Woshao Village, Woshao Township, Huayuan County. A total of 1.167 million yuan was invested (including 800,000 yuan from prefectural finance), 45,400 workdays were invested, 764 permanent fish ponds were built, 1,008 mu of high-efficiency ecological fishery area in rice fields was completed, 17,532 kilograms of large-sized fingerlings were released, and 19,300 high-quality fruit tree seedlings were planted on field ridges. Melons, beans, vegetables, ginger, and other crops were planted on fish pond embankments. In early October, provincial and prefectural expert groups randomly sampled and accepted 6.1 mu of rice fields in 3 pilot sites in 3 counties and cities, producing a total of 729 kilograms of fresh fish and 2,876 kilograms of rice, with an average yield per mu of 119.5 kilograms of fresh fish and 587 kilograms of rice; fishery output value was 6,683 yuan, rice output value was 2,989.8 yuan, averaging 1,095 yuan and 610 yuan per mu. Adding the total output value of melons and vegetables, it reached 13,347.8 yuan, averaging 2,192.6 yuan per mu, achieving relatively good results. In 2005, among the 550,000 mu of rice-field fish farming in the entire prefecture, modeled rice-field fish farming developed to 79,000 mu, accounting for 14.3% of the total rice-field fish-farming area.
III. Pond Fish Farming
According to the Yongsuil Ting Zhi of the first year of Xuantong in the Qing Dynasty (1909): "The Miao people like to eat sour fish. They impound water in valleys to make ponds, purchase fish fry from Han people to stock them, mostly grass carp and silver carp. Wealthy people hire several Miao children to cut grass to feed them, and some are kept until they weigh dozens of jin." During the Republic of China period, pond fish farming in the region was already relatively common, especially in urban suburbs. The cultured species developed from a single common carp to mainly common carp, along with multiple species such as black carp, grass carp, silver carp, bighead carp, and bream.
After the founding of New China, with the development of water conservancy undertakings, pond water surface increased, and pond fish farming developed accordingly. In 1985, a fever of "digging fields to make ponds" for fish farming appeared in the suburbs of each county. In the suburbs of the 10 counties and cities of the entire prefecture, 1,145 hectares of fields were dug into ponds, with Longshan having the most, reaching 366.7 hectares. In 1995, pond fish farming in the 8 counties and cities of the entire prefecture covered 1,257 hectares, accounting for 78.9% of the fish-farmable water surface. In 2000, with the support of the National Fisheries Bureau, on June 6, 200,000 Macrobrachium rosenbergii seedlings were airlifted from Shanghai to the prefecture and placed in 10 mu of ponds for rearing. More than four months later, upon acceptance, the average yield per mu was 98 kilograms of shrimp, creating a total output value of 78,000 yuan.
IV. Reservoir Fish Farming
From 1950 to 1956, the first batch of small type-I and small type-II reservoirs in the prefecture were completed. Due to lack of experience, reservoirs rarely raised fish, and the reservoir water surface was basically left barren. From 1965 to 1980, 11 medium-sized reservoirs were built in the prefecture, small type-I reservoirs increased to 124, small type-II reservoirs increased to 609, mountain ponds reached 15,306, and reservoir water surface increased to 5,200 hectares. With the increase in water surface, problems such as supporting barrier facilities for reservoir fish farming and deep-water fishing techniques in reservoirs were gradually solved, and the combined fishing method of "driving, blocking, stabbing, and netting" was introduced, bringing reservoir fish farming onto the right track. In 1995, the entire prefecture had 18 medium-sized reservoirs, 126 small type-I reservoirs, and 610 small type-II reservoirs, with a reservoir water surface of 6,253 hectares, accounting for 18.6% of the prefecture's total water surface of 33,606 hectares, and reservoir fish rearing was generally implemented.
The management and operation of reservoir fisheries adopted methods such as exclusive operation by reservoir management units, contracted operation with output-linked responsibility, and unified operation by reservoir-area residents through pooled funds and shares. For large cross-boundary water surfaces such as the Fengtan Reservoir, the method of unified planning, boundary division by county, and divided operation was adopted, giving reservoir fishery production a good development momentum.
In order to make full use of large water surface aquaculture, experts believe that silver fish transplantation is the main project with the greatest development potential. From 2002 to 2003, Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture carried out a silver fish transplantation experiment on 6,000 mu of water surface in Changtangang Reservoir, Fenghuang County, releasing a total of 21 million silver fish eggs. Fishing began in 2003, and a single catch reached 15 tons. The product met pollution-free food requirements, with pure body color and uniform specifications, and was all sold externally, creating an output value of 600,000 yuan. This marked the success of the silver fish transplantation experiment in Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture and played an experimental and demonstrative role for the comprehensive promotion of silver fish transplantation in large water surfaces throughout Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture.
V. Cage Fish Farming
Cage fish farming in the prefecture was successfully tested in 1980 by aquatic product workers of the Prefecture Animal Husbandry and Aquatic Products Bureau in the Maoping reservoir bay waters of Luoyixi, Guzhang County, arousing great interest among governments at all levels and reservoir-area residents and being rapidly promoted. In 1982, cage fish farming in the prefecture reached a climax. More than 50 state-owned, collective units and individuals in Guzhang, Baojing, Yongshun, Jishou, and other counties and cities invested 300,000 yuan and more than 10,000 pieces of timber in the Fengtan Reservoir area, developing 30,240 square meters of cage fish farming (1,080 cages), accounting for 22.5% of Hunan Province's cage fish-farming area. Among them, Guzhang County accounted for 63.66% of the prefecture's cage fish-farming area. In 1984, on the basis of summarizing cage culture of silver carp and bighead carp, cage culture of feeding fish such as tilapia, common carp, grass carp, and bream was successfully developed, summarizing useful experience for the development of cage culture of high-quality fish in the prefecture. After more than 10 years of fluctuating development, cage fish-farming technology was promoted in some reservoirs in the prefecture. In 2003, priority was given to promoting cage culture of famous and high-quality fish such as channel catfish and mandarin fish. In 2004, the entire prefecture developed a total of 5,860 cages for cage fish farming, covering 113,400 square meters, producing 2,135 tons of fresh fish, playing a positive role in increasing farmers' income in Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture, especially in helping fishermen in reservoir areas escape poverty and become prosperous. Large cage fish-farming households continued to emerge. For example, Sun Zhiquan, a farmer at Hexi Reservoir in Jishou City, developed 40 cages in 2002, producing 40,000 kilograms of fresh fish annually and making a profit of 100,000 yuan. That year, fishermen in Wangcun Town, Yongshun, established the first fish-farming association in the prefecture, developing 64 member households. After its establishment, the association, first, solved members' loan problems by taking the lead in applying to banks for loans to purchase cages, fingerlings, feed, and so on; second, handled the supply of fry and fingerlings as well as fishery materials such as cages, feed, and fish medicine; third, promoted scientific fish-farming techniques and did a good job in disease prevention and treatment. Driven by the association, cage culture of famous and high-quality fish in Wangcun developed rapidly. The emergence of large fishery households and the birth of fish-farming associations marked the arrival of a new era of fishery industrialization in the prefecture.
VI. Flowing-Water Fish Farming
Flowing-water fish farming in the prefecture includes three types: pit-pond flowing-water fish farming, stream-river flowing-water fish farming, and geothermal warm flowing-water fish farming. Pit-pond flowing-water fish farming means using vacant land in front of or behind houses to dig a pit-pond, using bamboo pipes or plastic water pipes to lead mountain stream water into the pond, and allowing it to flow freely for irrigation and drainage. Each water pit is stocked with 20-30 common carp and grass carp. Vine plants such as winter melon and pumpkin are planted around the pit-pond to form a shade canopy, and feed such as green grass, melons and vegetables, and bran cakes is fed daily. By the end of the year, each fish weighs 2-2.5 kilograms. Generally, one pit-pond produces 20-50 kilograms of fish. Stream-river flowing-water fish farming means using the flowing water from stream-river dams to build flowing-water fish ponds by the river. Because the demand for fingerlings and feed is large, input costs are high, technical requirements are high, and risks are also high, its promotion has been limited.
During the "Tenth Five-Year Plan" period, Jishou City and Fenghuang County successively established fishery ecological protection zones and closed fishing zones in some sections of the Dong River and Tuo River, carrying out artificial release of fingerlings and fry, so that fish resources in streams and rivers such as the Dong River and Tuo River were well protected and developed.
VII. River Fishing
Pottery net weights for fishing gear unearthed from the Neolithic site in Pushi Town, Luxi County, show that the ancestors of Xiangxi engaged in river fishing as early as 5,000 years ago. Single and double fish bronze xian unearthed from Longtan Daping Village, Huayuan County, confirm that before the Han Dynasty, river fishing in Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture had already developed to a certain extent. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the fishing industry in Luxi, Huayuan, Baojing, Guzhang, and other counties had developed considerably, forming numerous fishing teams. During the Republic of China period, river fishing teams mainly using cormorants and nets became even larger. Pushi, Maxikou, Shangbao, and Tanxi in Luxi County; Hexi in Qiancheng County (now Jishou City); Chadong in Yongsu County (now Huayuan County); Liye and Longtou in Longshan County; Qianling in Baojing County; Wangcun in Yongshun County; and Luoyixi in Guzhang County were the main settlements of fishermen in the prefecture. In the 1940s, the political situation was turbulent, with conscription and forced labor, bandit harassment, and numerous exorbitant fish taxes such as "official fish" payments. Fishermen who made their homes on boats and lived by fishing suffered unbearably, and some fishermen had no choice but to abandon their ancestral livelihood and seek other ways to make a living.
In 1956, in accordance with the guiding spirit of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee on achieving fishery cooperativization, all 106 households and 480 professional fishermen in the prefecture (including 320 laborers and 200 fishing boats), along with 480 sideline fishermen and 130 fishing boats, joined nearby agricultural cooperatives. In March 1959, the fishery cooperatives within the prefecture that had originally been merged into people's communes were reorganized into people's commune fishery brigades, with independent accounting, specializing in fishing production. During the "Cultural Revolution," fishermen returned to the communes to farm, and river fishing output declined. In 1979, the prefecture and county livestock and aquatic products bureaus were restored, fishery administration agencies were established, fishermen were re-registered, and "three certificates" (fishing licenses, fisherman certificates, and fishing boat licenses) were issued, bringing them under the unified management of the livestock and aquatic products bureaus. Fishing gear was improved, onshore settlement was arranged, and aquaculture, fishing, and diversified operations were developed, causing fishing output to recover and rise year by year.
The prefecture has a wide variety of fishing gear and fishing methods with a long history. According to surveys, there are as many as 25 types of fishing gear and methods. Among the net types are: cast nets, lift nets, set nets, cover nets, cage nets, lift nets, drive nets, gill nets, block nets, and stake nets; among the angling types are: vertical angling, hanging angling, sinker angling, and clip angling; ancient fishing methods include: hammer striking, pole setting, driving white fish, trampling fire ponds, installing fish weirs, lin fishing, fish sieving, cormorant fishing, otter fishing, and dogs catching soft-shelled turtles. In the 1970s, the combined "drive, block, gill, and stake" fishing method was introduced, solving the problem of deep-water fishing. The development of nylon and chemical fibers replaced the heavy hemp-based nets of history, greatly improving the prefecture's fishing gear and methods.