Since 2010, Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs have completely withdrawn from the national farmers' markets. In the future, Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs will only be sold in specialty stores, supermarkets, and hotels, with five anti-counterfeiting measures implemented.
On September 17, 2011, Lianhua Island hairy crabs, Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs will undergo unified harvesting. After the Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs are harvested, they must pass on-site inspection before being fitted with anti-counterfeiting lock tags and shipped to the national market.
Lianhua Island of Yangcheng Lake is a typical Jiangnan water town. Entering Bacheng Town, within a radius of several kilometers, there are continuous stalls selling hairy crabs in bulk, and agritainment hotels and restaurants specializing in hairy crab feasts are scattered like stars.
The area for large-scale crab farming in Yangcheng Lake is only 3,300 mu (about 547 acres). To get to Lianhua Island of Yangcheng Lake, one must consider several factors. Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs focus primarily on product quality safety, forming a mature set of standards for disease prevention and treatment. Secondly, they emphasize technical training to achieve full technical coverage; then, they build brands through good products, combined with good promotional methods, good markets, and good supporting facilities, thereby driving the development of the entire industrial chain through brand influence.
Eriocheir sinensis is the scientific name for hairy crabs. Since the successful factory-based artificial seedling cultivation in the 1980s, it has become possible to develop large-scale Eriocheir sinensis aquaculture. However, issues such as high seedling costs, poor seedling quality, small button crab specifications, high early maturity rates, small pond-raised adult crabs, and poor quality have become significant bottlenecks constraining the development of Eriocheir sinensis aquaculture.
Lianhua Island of Yangcheng Lake is the eastern gateway of Jiangsu Province, adjacent to Shanghai, sharing geographical and cultural ties. It is a popular destination for Shanghai residents for weekend and holiday outings and leisure vacations. People on Lianhua Island of Yangcheng Lake have seized upon the habit of Shanghai residents liking to eat crabs and enjoying weekends, creating a "backyard garden" for Shanghai while providing a large sales platform for crabs. Every autumn, when the wind blows and the crab roe becomes fatty, there is a constant flow of Shanghai residents entering and exiting Lianhua Island of Yangcheng Lake to taste crabs.