Island rises from aquaculture, tourism

Shepan Island, which has tourism and aquaculture as its two pillar sectors, is a microcosm of the robust development experienced by Taizhou's Sanmen county in recent years.

White-leg shrimp, also known as litopenaeus vannamei, is main seafood produced by the island.

Sun Lihui, an employee at Zhejiang Yize Aquaculture Co Ltd, which is based in Shepan, said that the company currently has 300 mu (20 hectares) of ponds used to breed white-leg shrimps, which generate an annual revenue of 30 million yuan ($4.62 million).

The output of each shrimp pond can reach 5,000 to 6,000 kilograms, far higher than that of blue crabs, another well-known local produce, according to Sun.

The largest island in Taizhou, Shepan is dubbed the "Island of a Thousand Caves" due to its many caves.

The Huangnidong ancient village is a popular scenic spot on the island. The village features 55 stone houses with 163 rooms, all of which are built with locally produced Shepan stones.

The local government has been promoting the integrated development of tourism and aquaculture sectors.

Lin Huihui, head of Shepan township, said they are leveraging the tourism boom to boost the sales of seafood, and part of the plan involves rolling out tourism products that allow visitors to fish in the aquaculture farms.

In addition, a tourist service center is being constructed to showcase the island's rich tourism and fishery resources.

In 2021, Shepan welcomed nearly 600,000 visitors and generated about 20 million yuan in tourism revenue. That year, its aquaculture farming area spanned 24,700 mu and had an output value of nearly 200 million yuan, according to official statistics.