China can’t get enough of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba), judging by another government-backed project for a giant krill processing center near Shanghai.
Government in the city of Haimen in Jiangsu Province has announced a “priority” investment project featuring processing and research and development facilities that will handle 50,000 tons of Atlantic krill per year in a CNY 6 billion (USD 943 million, EUR 795 million) investment that will also include some tourist-targeted real estate and shopping projects.
Two vessels with processing capacity on board are under construction, according to the Haimen authorities. The research facilities in Haimen – located a 90-minute drive north of Shanghai – will aim to develop “health-focused” products from the krill, according to the local Communist Party office.
Antarctic krill biomass in the Southern Ocean has been estimated at around 379,000,000 metric tons, with catch limits managed under the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) set at 3.75 million metric tons.
Krill has come to be seen as an investment theme for city governments around China, which typically borrow large sums to create local competitiveness in what are seen as promising industries – along with plays on the frothy real estate market. The two other big-ticket items in Haimen’s investment plans are robotics and construction of cruise ships, tapping into rising Chinese outbound tourism. One of the ships being built will be the titled the “Polar Expedition Cruise,” according to the Haimen government statement.
Photo courtesy of Australian Antarctic Division
