China Accounts For More Than 80% Of The World's Shellfish Production

   In recent years, China's shellfish industry has maintained a stable and positive economic development trend. In terms of production, China's shellfish output reached 18.088 million tons in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 5.54%, accounting for more than 80% of the global total, with marine aquaculture accounting for 96%.

   The output value of marine aquaculture shellfish was nearly US$29 billion (2023), a year-on-year increase of 18.1%. In terms of product structure, oysters and clams are the main marine aquaculture species, accounting for nearly 70% of the total output. Scallops and abalone, also major shellfish species, have also seen continuous growth in output. Regionally, Shandong and Fujian provinces are the main production areas, accounting for nearly 70% of the national total output. In terms of production efficiency, the cost-benefit ratio of marine shellfish aquaculture in 2024 was 36.2%, a slight decrease year-on-year, but still at a relatively high level. The profit margin for scallops was close to 70%, while that for clams and snails exceeded 40%.

   Since the beginning of the 21st century, the production capacity layout of marine shellfish aquaculture in my country has remained relatively stable, with Shandong and Fujian provinces consistently being major shellfish producing provinces. In 2024, the top three provinces in China for marine shellfish aquaculture production were Shandong, Fujian, and Liaoning, with outputs of 4.8171 million tons, 3.7429 million tons, and 2.9836 million tons, respectively, accounting for 27.69%, 21.52%, and 17.15% of my country's total shellfish production, totaling nearly 70%. In terms of aquaculture area, Liaoning and Shandong provinces consistently ranked first and second, with aquaculture areas of 536,900 hectares and 434,100 hectares, respectively, accounting for 38.40% and 31.05% of China's total marine shellfish aquaculture area, totaling more than two-thirds. Among them, Liaoning Province's aquaculture area reached its peak in 2013 and then declined sharply, gradually stabilizing in recent years with a slight upward trend.