An aerial view of a freshwater fishing base in Hetian township, Kaihua county, Quzhou, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/farmer.com.cn]

Kaihua county's freshwater fish industry has played an important role in increasing farmers' incomes, and its total output value amounted to 250 million yuan ($35.12 million) last year.

In recent years, the price of Kaihua freshwater fish has increased significantly due to its ecological breeding. The local price of the fish ranges from 50 yuan to 70 yuan per kilogram, four to six times that of ordinary grass carp. The price increases by a factor of six to eight when sold in other places such as Shanghai, Hangzhou and Ningbo.

There are currently over 11,000 fishing ponds in the county, and more than 6,200 farmers are engaged in the freshwater fish industry. The annual output of freshwater fish has reached 2,350 metric tons.

In the county, fishing ponds were built near streams and mountain springs, and freshwater was drawn to raise fish.

The county's fish farming methods can be traced back to the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127).

In addition, fish farming in the county is becoming increasingly digitalized. Many fish ponds have introduced intelligent equipment, including water quality sensors and intelligent monitoring equipment, which can show breeding indicators such as water quality and fish health status.