By LONG Yun & ZHONG Jianli 

Andreas Thorud. (PHOTO: S&T Daily)

According to legend, over 2,500 years ago, Fan Li, known as the Sage of Commerce, wrote the world's first book on aquaculture, "Treatise on Fish Farming," in what is today Zhejiang province in east China, laying a solid foundation for modern aquaculture.

Today, this ancient wisdom has found new expression in a pioneering project in Xiangshan, a county in Zhejiang's Ningbo city which produces Atlantic salmon right from the eggs, making them a unique land-based Atlantic salmon produced in China.

This April, locally farmed Atlantic salmon began appearing on the shelves of restaurants and supermarkets across the Yangtze River Delta. Known as the "king of fish," the Atlantic salmon is challenging to farm but prized for its tender, sweet flavor and high price.

Transporting the fresh fish to Zhejiang from Norway often takes several days after air transport, customs inspections, and domestic shipping. Now, the time has been drastically reduced.

According to Nordic Aqua, the Norwegian company behind this trailblazing endeavor, processed fish products can reach any part of the country within 24 hours. It takes only five hours to get to Zhejiang's neighboring megacity Shanghai.

Science and Technology Daily reporters went to Xiangshan to explore how the East China Sea has become the new home of the Atlantic salmon.

The story began over 10 years ago. Ove Nodland, one of the founders of Nordic Aqua, is a salmon enthusiast who has been doing business in Ningbo for over two decades. He had a dream: after years of importing the Atlantic salmon, could he bring salmon farming to his "second hometown" Ningbo?

The natural conditions required for farming the Atlantic salmon are extremely stringent. Luckily, the ecological environment and geographical location of Xiangshan are perfectly suited to this dream of realizing a land-based Atlantic salmon project. Like Norway, Ningbo has vast sea areas, a great environment and a rich tradition of aquaculture.

"We've tested the local seawater and found it suitable for salmon farming after treatment," said Andreas Thorud, the Norwegian general manager of Nordic Aqua. "What we've achieved here would not have been possible without the support of the local government and community in Xiangshan and Ningbo."

In 2018, the Nordic Aqua (Ningbo) Company was established, starting Asia's first land-based salmon farming project using recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) technology. This project is unique not only in China but worldwide for its land-based farming system.

Walk into Nordic Aqua's farm in Xiangshan and you can see groups of the Atlantic salmon swimming in pools of clear, purified seawater. The fish eggs come from Iceland, each batch carrying a genetic certificate to ensure purity. After hatching, the fish grow in the farm's pools, taking about two years to reach the market standard. The farm uses RAS technology to draw water from the East China Sea, using advanced systems to simulate ocean conditions, maintaining clean water and a temperature of around 13 degrees Celsius, while replicating ocean currents to provide the best environment for the salmon to grow quickly and healthily.

Food safety is a priority. According to Thorud, the highly purified water means the salmons grow without requiring vaccines or antibiotics, allaying safety concerns. The company's salmon products have received praise from customers.

From latitude 70 degrees north to 30 degrees north, the fish from Northern Europe have found a familiar environment in Zhejiang, much like the company's management, who have integrated into China and its local community. "There are a lot of local talents in our factory, and we feel very much welcome. We share the pride by producing the Atlantic salmon in Xiangshan," Thorud said.

One month ago, Nordic Aqua held an auction for their Atlantic salmon products. "The money from this auction went to a local school, and we're delighted to give back to the local community," Thorud said. The local employees also have a sense of achievement from learning this unique aquaculture.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Norway. One of the most compelling aspects of this cooperation is their joint commitment to sustainable development. Nordic Aqua is a shining example of China-Norway cooperation in marine sustainability.

With continued efforts and a shared vision, the future of green development in the ocean and energy sectors holds great promise. "We look forward to increasing our capacity here, contributing to the local economy, and supporting the government's goals of modernizing aquaculture," Thorud emphasized.

This article is also contributed by the Ningbo Science and Technology Bureau.