High temperature leaves sea cucumbers dead, farmers devastated

Local authorities have invited experts to help farmers. Lin Yun, an engineer from Panjin, said that farmers could take steps to enrich water oxygen to lower the death rate.

Zhou Wei, professor from Dalian Ocean University, said using ice blocks to cool off pools was not a proper way, and it was always best to change water during the tide.

Zhou said that dead bodies should be taken out of the pools in time, because an infection will cause more deaths of other sea cucumbers.

CCTV reported that the loss happened mainly to sea cucumbers raised in pools, and those raised on the sea bed beneath 30 meters of water did not die. Farmer Sun Gang said the high temperature did not influence his sea cucumbers.

Farmers use three ways to raise sea cucumbers, in pools, in cultivation houses and under the sea. The first two ways have an advantage of sea cucumbers growing fast but a disadvantage of poor flow of sea water.

Starting from 2014, Dalian started to offer an insurance program to cover the loss caused by high temperature, but only two farmers bought the insurance this year.

Wang Mingli, chairman of sea cucumber association of Wafangdian, said many farmers were left in tears. Farmers in Wafangdian raised sea cucumbers in pools with an area of about 500,000 mu, and 90 percent of the pools suffered losses.

Wang Mingli said that the association is negotiating with the government and banks, expecting banks to offer loans to farmers.