The Giant Prawn 2025, the 7th global meeting in this prestigious series, is held in Huzhou, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Tide News]

The Giant Prawn 2025, the 7th global meeting in this prestigious series, kicked off on June 9 in Huzhou, East China's Zhejiang province.

Data unveiled at the meeting shows that China produces 50 percent of global giant freshwater prawns. Notably, Huzhou produces over 18 billion prawn seedlings annually, supplying 60 percent of the national market.

Introduced from Southeast Asia in 1976, the giant freshwater prawn faced challenges like performance degradation and increased disease rates by the early 1990s.

To combat this, Zhejiang's Freshwater Fisheries Research Institute in Huzhou has developed the world's most comprehensive prawn genetic lineages. It introduced new breeds such as "South Taihu No 2" in 2009, which reduced disease incidence, and "South Taihu No 3" in 2022, known for faster growth and greater genetic stability, increasing farmers' profits.

Huzhou's focus on the development of the industry chain has attracted major companies like Charoen Pokphand Group, boosting the local freshwater prawn breeding industry.

Zhang Haiqi, director of the institute, highlighted ongoing research to tackle market challenges, including virus resistance and all-male breeding techniques. Recent breakthroughs have overcome technical barriers, promising broader distribution and improved prawn quality.

The three-day conference, featuring nearly 300 global experts, aims to explore advancements in sustainable farming, disease control, and industry collaboration of the giant freshwater prawn farming industry.