Fuyuan sturgeon

Fuyuan sturgeon

Fuyuan sturgeon is a product with geographical indication.

　　A local folk rhyme in Fuyuan goes: “In spring when the breeze is mild, a hundred nets haul black gold from the Heilong River; in autumn under sunny skies, a thousand sails joyfully gather red pearls on the Wusuli.” Fuyuan County, known as the hometown of Chinese sturgeon and kaluga sturgeon, lies at the confluence of the Heilong and Wusuli Rivers. Blessed with exceptional fishing resources, it is a major production area for sturgeon in China.

　　Sturgeon and kaluga, scientifically named Acipenser schrenckii and Huso dauricus, are hailed as “living fossils of the water,” being among the oldest surviving vertebrates in the world with extremely high scientific research value. Their meat is delicious and rich in nutrients, while their eggs — known as “black gold” — sturgeon caviar, are in high demand on the international market.

　　The sturgeon breeding and farming base in Fuyuan County was established in 1998, and has since been listed as a major agricultural scientific research project of the Provincial Science Committee for Heilongjiang, as well as a base for diversified operations under the Heilongjiang Agricultural Development Project. Over the years, with support from national, provincial, and municipal authorities, it has grown into the largest artificial breeding and farming base in the country. It now includes a spawning workshop covering 1,200 square meters, a farming workshop of 1,200 square meters, and a broodstock farming workshop of 800 square meters, all equipped with complete supporting facilities. The Fuyuan County Party Committee and County Government have invested over 5 million yuan to expand the base by 2,000 square meters, introducing one of the most advanced water purification systems and renovating existing factory buildings, equipment, and infrastructure.

　　In 2002, Fuyuan County achieved a major breakthrough in the low-temperature early breeding of premium fry, enabling year-round reproduction of sturgeon and kaluga. The secondary breeding of these species allowed Fuyuan to establish an annual capacity of artificially hatching 50 million fry, generating 40 million yuan in output value and 5 million yuan in annual profits. Sturgeon and kaluga eggs and fry have been exported to provinces and cities such as Beijing, Guangdong, Fujian, and Jiangsu, with 80% of the nation’s sturgeon fertilized eggs and juvenile fish originating from Fuyuan. In 2003, in Qingdao, Shandong Province, Fuyuan’s aquatic experts successfully released sturgeon fry into the Yellow Sea, allowing freshwater fish to “acclimate in seawater for added value” — a first in the country. Recently, the Ministry of Agriculture established Fuyuan as the site of the country’s largest base for native Northeastern specialty fish.

　　Over the years, Fuyuan County has released 450,000 sturgeon and kaluga fry into the Heilong and Wusuli Rivers, ensuring the sustainable utilization of these precious fishing resources. The fishing economy follows a path of “focusing on farming, combining fishing and farming,” and moves toward deep processing of aquatic products. Processing companies such as Zhengyang Aquatic Products Cooperative turn premium fish into value-added products, achieving a leap from raw materials to high-end sales. They have successively developed and launched small-packaged caviar products such as “[Brand]” sturgeon, chum salmon, and whitefish caviar, along with a series of high-value products including sturgeon meat, fish floss, and fish tendons. These have repeatedly won awards at provincial and municipal science and technology product exhibitions, and are exported to more than ten countries and regions including the United States, Japan, and Hong Kong. With active support from the county government, the number of individual aquatic product processing plants in the county has rapidly grown to seven, with products distributed across the country.

　　Geographic Scope

　　Fuyuan County is located in the northeastern border of China, spanning longitude 133°40′ to 135°5′20″ and latitude 47°25′30″ to 48°27′40″, covering a total area of 6,262.48 square kilometers. To the east and north, it borders Russia across the Heilong and Wusuli Rivers; to the south is Raohe, and to the west is Tongjiang. A total of 268 kilometers of the mainstream Heilong and Wusuli Rivers lie within the county, boasting abundant fishery resources, including 105 fish species from 72 genera and 21 families, of which 59 are commercial species. Fuyuan County administers four towns and townships directly — Haiqing Township, Zhuaji Town, Tongjiang Township, and Fuyuan Town — with 26,753 hectares of water surface under their jurisdiction. These serve as important breeding and growth areas for kaluga sturgeon, with an annual output of about 30 tons.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　1. External Sensory Characteristics: Fuyuan sturgeon (Huso dauricus) has a slightly triangular head with a long, relatively pointed snout. The surface of the head is covered with numerous bony plates. The mouth is ventral, wide, and slightly arched; there are two pairs of barbels in front of the mouth, with the inner pair slightly forward and the outer pair further back. The eyes are small and close to the tip of the snout. The gill membranes on both sides extend ventrally, joining together, and the bony plates bear sharp, slightly curved spines. The rest of the body is smooth and scaleless. The tail fin is heterocercal, with the upper lobe long and pointed. The body is dark bluish-black with yellow sides and a grayish-white belly; the dorsal bony plates are yellow, and the lateral ones are yellowish-brown. Its meat is delicious; the vertebrae and nasal bones are considered delicacies, and the eggs have a strong flavor. Especially the “black caviar” made from kaluga eggs holds extremely high economic value, living up to its reputation as the “black pearl.” 2. Internal Quality Indicators: Fuyuan sturgeon not only holds significant importance in the study of fish evolution but also has high economic value. Its meat is delicious, free of fine intermuscular bones, and classified as a high-protein, high-fat food. The crude protein content is ≥15%, and the crude fat content is ≥30%. It contains all eight essential amino acids required by the human body, along with trace elements such as calcium ≥55 mg/kg, zinc ≥2.5 mg/kg, magnesium ≥200 mg/kg, and phosphorus ≥1500 mg/kg. Unsaturated fatty acids account for over 70% of the total fatty acids. 3. Safety Requirements: Sturgeon must comply with GB/T18407.4-2001 Agricultural Product Safety Quality – Requirements for Pollution-Free Aquatic Product Growing Environments; the production environment must meet NY5051-2001 Pollution-Free Food – Freshwater Aquaculture Water Quality Standards; and the final product must adhere to NY5053-2005 Pollution-Free Food – Common Freshwater Fish Standards.