Pingtan, the largest island county in southeastern China's Fujian Province with a long coastline and a strong marine economy, is entering a key season for its aquaculture industry as local farms begin large-scale abalone stocking efforts.

At an abalone farming base in Dongxing Village in Pingtan, workers have been busy sorting and selecting juvenile abalones before carefully packaging and transporting them to offshore farming zones for release. The operation marks one of the busiest periods of the year for local producers.

"Around 10 million juvenile abalones are expected to be released this year," said Nian Jin, head of Fujian Chuanyang Fishery Development Co., Ltd.

Some of the juvenile abalones being stocked this season will include newly developed varieties selected for trial cultivation. The breeds were developed through research at the Pingtan Abalone Science and Technology Innovation Center, a platform jointly established by Chuanyang Fishery and Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University. The center was approved last year to support talent cultivation and advances in marine aquaculture technology.

Abalone farming has become one of Pingtan's signature industries and an important source of income for local communities. The county now has 33 abalone hatcheries with an annual production capacity of 500 million abalone seed. Annual abalone output is close to 50,000 tonnes, with the industry generating more than 3 billion yuan (about 417 million U.S. dollars) in output value each year.