Jinzhou Cockle

Jinzhou Cockle

The Jinzhou Cockle is a product with geographical indication status.

　　 In recent years, the coverage of pollution-free aquatic product production areas and products in the Jinzhou New Area has been continuously expanding, and the process of fisheries standardization has been accelerating, laying a solid foundation for applying for geographical indication of agricultural products. The application for geographical indication of the "Jinzhou Cockle" will further standardize the production area scope, seedling production, cultivation and processing, and supervision and management. This will significantly enhance its quality characteristics and brand value, promote industrial development, and increase fishermen's income. While raising the market awareness and reputation of the "Jinzhou Cockle", it will also help combat counterfeit products and opportunists, protect local specialty agricultural products, and establish a unified management model combining government regulation, industry supervision, and corporate self-discipline. This will enable the scientific and sustainable development of fishery production in the Jinzhou New Area.

　　Jinzhou Cockle

　　 Regional Scope

　　The Jinzhou Cockle, with the scientific name Scapharca subcrenata, is commonly known as hairy clam, cockle, or ark shell. It belongs to the phylum Mollusca, class Bivalvia (also called Pelecypoda), order Arcoida, family Arcidae, and genus Scapharca. The Jinzhou Cockle has an elongated oval-shaped, hard and thick shell, approximately 54 mm in length and 46 mm in height. Both shells are highly inflated, with the width being about 3/4 to 4/5 of the height. The right shell is slightly smaller than the left, with slightly angular edges at both ends on the dorsal side, and the beak positioned slightly forward. The distance between the two beaks is moderate. The shell surface features 30–35 radiating ribs, which are densely distributed with square-like small nodules, more pronounced on the left shell. The shell is covered with a brownish velvety periostracum, from which the name "cockle" is derived. This outer layer is often worn off, leaving the shell surface mostly white. The inner surface is white or grayish-yellow, with edges featuring teeth and grooves corresponding to the radiating ribs on the shell surface. The hinge is straight, with about 50 hinge teeth—small and dense in the middle, larger and sparser on the sides. The anterior adductor muscle scar is small and slightly horseshoe-shaped, while the posterior adductor muscle scar is oval. The digestive organs consist of the mouth, esophagus, stomach, intestine, and others. Its main diet consists of diatoms and organic debris. The gonads are wrapped around the digestive gland (visceral mass). When sexually mature, the female gonads are orange-red, and the male gonads are yellowish-white. The genital openings are located on the ventral side of the posterior adductor muscle, one on each side. The Jinzhou Cockle inhabits muddy and sandy seabeds in shallow coastal waters within 20 meters in depth, mostly found at depths of 2–10 meters, and is also commonly distributed in the lower intertidal zone. It burrows relatively shallowly, generally increasing depth with growth, usually between 3–10 cm. The optimal habitat is inner bays with moderate freshwater inflow, with salinity typically ranging from 21–28.8‰, and water temperature varying between 0–32°C, making it a eurythermal and euryhaline species. It is distributed along the coasts of Japan, Korea, and China in the western Pacific Ocean. The Jinzhou Cockle is mainly found in the marine areas under the jurisdiction of Xingshu Subdistrict, Dengshahe Subdistrict, and Daliujia Subdistrict in the eastern Yellow Sea region of the Jinzhou New Area, Dalian City. The northern boundary is at the estuary of Dashah River in the northern part of Xingshu Subdistrict, and the southern boundary is at Chengshantou in Daliujia Subdistrict (see Attachment 1 for the distribution map of the Jinzhou Cockle production area). The specific maritime boundaries are as follows: N 39°19′03.070″, E 122°15′39.481″ N 39°16′31.644″, E 122°20′40.266″ N 39°12′29.236″, E 122°14′17.646″ N 39°10′09.915″, E 122°14′19.149″ N 39°09′20.971″, E 122°09′40.364″

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　1. Typical Quality Characteristics of Jinzhou Cockle 1.1 External Sensory Features of Live Jinzhou Cockles The shells are undamaged, the individuals are plump, the adductor muscles close firmly, and the outer end of the foot is bright red with prominent cockscomb-like folds. The parent cockles are over three years old, uniformly sized, with a shell length of 4–5 cm. The gonads are brightly colored, orange-red in females and milky white in males. The gonads are full, covering the entire visceral mass and extending to the base of the foot. They possess the distinct delicious qualities of seafood, with a delicious and refreshing taste. The most prominent external features of the Jinzhou Cockle are its large size and the brighter color of its soft tissue compared to other regional varieties. Cockles from other regions tend to be yellowish or whitish in color. 1.2 Internal Quality Indicators of Jinzhou Cockle Testing shows that the Jinzhou Cockle contains 16 types of amino acids. Among them, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, glycine, and alanine are the four flavor-contributing amino acids, and their composition and content determine the umami level of the sample. Glutamic acid and aspartic acid are the characteristic amino acids that contribute to umami, while alanine and glycine are characteristic amino acids contributing to sweetness. Serine and proline are also related to sweetness. These six flavor amino acids are present in high amounts in the sample, giving the Jinzhou Cockle its distinctly delicious seafood qualities. The protein content is 8.5–16%, and the fat content is 0.5–1.2%, making it one of the rare high-protein, low-fat foods. The iron content is 3–7 mg/100g, which helps promote hemoglobin synthesis, growth, and appetite. 2. Product Quality and Safety Standards for Jinzhou Cockle The quality and safety of Jinzhou Cockle products are controlled in accordance with relevant laws and regulations such as the "People's Republic of China Agricultural Product Quality and Safety Law," the "Liaoning Province Aquatic Product Quality and Safety Management Measures," and the "Dalian City Agricultural Product Market Access Management Measures": 2.1. "People's Republic of China Agricultural Product Quality and Safety Law" – "Article 25: Agricultural product producers shall use agricultural inputs reasonably in accordance with laws, administrative regulations, and the regulations of the agricultural administrative department of the State Council. They must strictly implement the safety intervals or withdrawal periods for agricultural inputs to prevent risks to the quality and safety of agricultural products." 2.2. "Liaoning Province Aquatic Product Quality and Safety Management Measures" – "Article 19: The sale of aquatic products with any of the following conditions is prohibited: (1) containing pathogenic parasites, microorganisms, or banned fishery inputs, or with biotoxins not meeting aquatic product quality and safety standards; (2) having chemical residues such as veterinary drugs or toxic and harmful substances such as heavy metals not meeting aquatic product quality and safety standards; (3) using preservatives, antiseptics, or additives in packaging, preservation, storage, or transport that do not comply with national mandatory technical specifications; (4) failing quality and safety standards upon sampling or inspection; (5) other conditions not meeting aquatic product quality and safety standards." 2.3. "Dalian City Agricultural Product Market Access Management Measures" – "Article 11: For agricultural products without certification or approval, an on-site testing system is implemented. Products may only be allowed on the market for sale after passing on-site testing conducted by the market operator."