A delegation from the Fujian Provincial Department of Ocean and Fisheries visited IHB from March 13 to 15, 2026. (Credit: IHB)

A delegation from the Fujian Provincial Department of Ocean and Fisheries visited the Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences from March 13 to 15, 2026 to discuss collaboration on fostering industry-academia partnerships in freshwater aquaculture.

The delegation was led by LIU Qingfeng, deputy director general of the Fujian Provincial Department of Ocean and Fisheries, and included researchers from the Freshwater Fisheries Research Institute of Fujian. The meeting was hosted by XU Zhen, deputy director of IHB.

XIE Shouqi opened the meeting by noting the long-standing collaboration between the two institutions. "Our research interests align closely in areas such as freshwater aquaculture and fish disease control," he said. "We have worked together extensively over the years on joint research projects and personnel exchanges."

"In response to the pressing needs of local industry development," Xie added, "IHB will continue to take advantage of its strengths as a national research institution, both in technical expertise and talent, to deepen our partnership with the Freshwater Fisheries Research Institute of Fujian and provide strong scientific support for the growth of the local freshwater aquaculture industry."

LIU Qingfeng described IHB as a leader in freshwater aquaculture study and noted its contributions to linking science with industry. "Fujian is a major aquaculture province," Liu said. "Our freshwater aquaculture industry is now at a critical stage of transitioning toward higher quality and greater efficiency. It urgently needs to be empowered by cutting-edge research findings." He hoped the visit would serve as an opportunity to establish a regular collaboration mechanism with IHB.

WU Bin, director of the Freshwater Fisheries Research Institute of Fujian, outlined the current state of Fujian’s freshwater aquaculture sector and identified specific technical needs. He called for joint research projects and increased exchange of researchers to accelerate the translation of scientific findings into practical applications.

XU Zhen said IHB remains committed to aligning its research with the needs of local industry development. "In response to the specific needs of Fujian's freshwater aquaculture industry," Xu said, "IHB will integrate its research strengths and engage in comprehensive collaboration with the Freshwater Fisheries Research Institute of Fujian across several areas, including the development of new aquaculture varieties, ecological approaches to fish disease control, precision feeding strategies, and the construction of sustainable models for large-scale freshwater fisheries."

Participants at the meeting agreed that the two institutions share a strong foundation for cooperation and would work toward further integration of research and industry development.