Tiger Flat Island Sea Cucumber

Tiger Flat Island Sea Cucumber

Tiger Flat Island sea cucumber is a product certified with a Geographical Indication for Agricultural Products.

　　Tiger Flat Island sea cucumber is a specialty of Lushunkou District, Dalian, Liaoning.

　　Lushun has a long history of fishing production. The "Fengtian Tongzhi" records: "Fishing in the Liaohai Sea has flourished since the Wei and Jin Dynasties, as the region is surrounded by the sea and abundant in natural marine resources." According to the "Lushunkou District Annals," diving equipment (comprising a sampan, air compressor, air hose, and signal rope) was first used in 1907, with 8 sets distributed as follows: 2 sets in Fangjiatun Hui (now Tieshan and Jiangxi Town), 4 sets in Sanjianpu Hui (now Sanjianpu Town), 1 set in Yingchengzi Hui (now Yingchengzi Town, Ganjingzi District), and 1 set in the urban area. These were used by divers to harvest seafood treasures such as sea cucumbers, abalones, and murex snails from certain depths of the shallow seabed. The fishing season began every May and continued until year-end, except during breeding protection periods. In the early days after the liberation of Lushun, there were 16 sets of diving equipment. In 1985, 15 sets were approved for use by the District Fisheries Bureau, including 8 in Longtang Town, 4 in Tieshan Town, 2 in Sanjianpu Town, and 1 in Jiangxi Town—all used by marine aquaculture units for harvesting seafood treasures such as sea cucumbers. The production and processing history of "Tiger Flat Island Sea Cucumber" is long-standing. Tiger Flat Island is located at the southernmost tip of the Liaodong Peninsula, at the junction of the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea, where water exchange is abundant, and there is a rich supply of plankton and algae, resulting in diverse marine life. Sea cucumber is ranked among the "Eight Treasures of Seafood," with those from the surrounding waters of the Liaodong Peninsula considered the finest. The widespread fame of Liaodong sea cucumbers is directly related to the relatively low water temperature of the producing area. According to the "District Annals," 41 tons of dried sea cucumbers were produced in 1949, but by 1985, this figure had dropped to just 0.5 tons. The use of diving equipment increased labor productivity, leading to a gradual decline in wild sea cucumber populations. Entering the 1990s, after successful sea cucumber breeding, pond farming, and bottom-seeding culture led to a steady rise in production, reaching 1,405 tons by 2013. The development of the sea cucumber industry is, in essence, a history of its production and processing. Sea cucumber processing can be traced back to before the liberation of Lushun. Without refrigeration, fishermen mostly used primitive methods such as boiling, salting, and sun-drying with plant ash to preserve fresh sea cucumbers for consumption or sale. From the 1950s to the 1970s, salt-dried products dominated. By the mid-1970s, with the construction of cold storage facilities, seafood processing capabilities expanded significantly. Processing evolved into a fully physical procedure—from raw fresh ingredients to final products—including salted sea cucumbers, frozen products, and cooked items. Around the turn of the century, many aquatic product processing enterprises entered a phase of rapid development characterized by scaling up, improving quality, enhancing technology, and increasing added value. There was a gradual shift from traditional, crude processing methods toward factory-based precision processing. As public awareness of food safety and brand value grew, coupled with government support for branding strategies, the technological level and processing techniques of the sea cucumber industry underwent fundamental changes. Tiger Flat Island sea cucumbers are of superior quality. In 2010, they were recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture as pollution-free products and the production area was designated as pollution-free by Dalian City. In the same year, "Lushun Sea Cucumber" and "Lushun Abalone" were listed among the top 100 regional public brand agricultural products in China’s first ranking. In 2011, the "Tiger Flat Island" brand sea cucumber was awarded the title of Dalian Famous Trademark, and in 2012, it passed the national food safety quality QS certification. In 2010 and 2011, CCTV aired segments on "Sea Cucumbers with Distinction" twice on Channel 7’s Daily Agricultural Economy program, earning the products reputations such as "Truly Wild, More Nutritious, Daringly Fresh" and "Big-Foot Sea Cucumber." As living standards have improved, people in Lushun not only maintain the traditional custom of eating sea cucumbers during the "Jiao Jiu" period (81 days of the coldest winter days), but also consider them an indispensable delicacy at important gatherings such as friend meetups, wedding banquets, and celebrations. Those who can afford it also consume refined processed products like sea cucumber capsules and Sea Dragon Saliva oral liquids. According to interviews with elders, when asked where to find the best sea cucumbers, the answer is always: "Tiger Flat Island has the best." When asked about the benefits of eating sea cucumbers, responses include: "It prevents colds, reduces illness, boosts immunity, and ensures good health." One 78-year-old man said: "I’ve eaten one sea cucumber before breakfast every day for over ten years. Now I have no major health issues. Eating sea cucumbers is better than taking supplements—it really works. Food nourishment is better than medicine."

　　Region: Dalian

　　Applicant: Lushunkou District Fisheries Association, Dalian City

　　Region: 2014

　　Geographic Scope

　　Tiger Flat Island in Lushunkou, Dalian, is situated at the southernmost tip of the Liaodong Peninsula, within the Bohai Sea at the junction of the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea. It lies at 121°13′ east longitude and 39°06′ north latitude. The island covers a land area of 307,598 square meters, with a coastline length of 2,449.8 meters and an elevation of 60.2 meters. The island is covered with dense mugwort, has shallow soil layers, and includes a small amount of abandoned arable land. It neighbors Zhuzi Island and Shaobing Island, all of which are uninhabited. It is located 9.6 nautical miles from Xiaoheshi Village in Sanjianpu Subdistrict and 22 kilometers from Lushun, ensuring convenient transportation. The reported geographical indication usage area extends from Tiger Flat Island in Lushunkou District and the offshore waters outside Shaobing Island, with coordinates as follows: 121°5′56.40″ east longitude, 39°6′49.41″ north latitude; 121°14′54.73″ east longitude, 39°7′56.59″ north latitude; 121°6′35.50″ east longitude, 39°3′8.26″ north latitude; 121°15′14.77″ east longitude, 39°3′8.26″ north latitude. The designated area includes the eastern, western, southern, and northern nearshore waters within 10–40 meters of Shaobing Island, Zhuzi Island, and Tiger Flat Island. The production area spans 151,000 mu, with an annual output of 170 tons and an annual output value of 60 million yuan.