"Underwater locusts" invade on a large scale! Netizens: Can we solve the problem by eating them?

Starfish are known as "sea locusts". These "beautiful killers" can cause disasters for clams and oysters. Since last year, a large number of starfish have appeared in the Jiaozhou Bay area of ​​Qingdao, Shandong, causing heavy losses to local shellfish farming.

Recently, a surge in starfish has occurred again in the shellfish farming area of ​​Jiaozhou Bay. For the first time, a creature called "white mud ants" with the scientific name "Jing's shell slug" has appeared on a large scale. After two consecutive years of large-scale gathering, are starfish going to "take root" here? How do these "sea locusts" affect shellfish farming? What is the connection between "white mud ants" and the starfish outbreak? In addition to manual fishing, are there other methods?

Reporters visit shellfish farmers at the seaside

△CCTV Finance "World Finance" column July 4 video

Around 2 p.m. on the 3rd, reporters saw a fishing boat loaded with starfish approaching the shore at Yinghai Wharf in Jiaozhou City. The starfish caught were mixed with a large number of empty shellfish shells. A farmer told reporters that they had gone out to sea to catch starfish three times that day, catching about 1,500 kilograms each time. These starfish appeared in large groups in the breeding area, devouring clams on the seabed, which also caused heavy losses to the farmers.

Shellfish farmer: Starfish have a huge impact on us clam farmers. I invested more than 3 million yuan this year and lost two-thirds of it, which caused huge economic losses.

According to on-site and sea diving sampling surveys by experts, the density of starfish in the Hongshiya aquaculture area in Jiaozhou Bay is 10-15 per square meter, the density of starfish in the aquaculture area in the central and southern waters of Jiaozhou Bay is 1.7 per square meter, and the remaining aquaculture areas have varying degrees of starfish distribution.

Experts have determined that starfish have caused damage to shellfish farming in Jiaozhou Bay and are likely to spread. Local marine authorities have also taken a variety of measures to deal with the starfish disaster and minimize the economic losses of farmers.

Han Bing, deputy director of the Marine Management and Security Center of Qingdao City, Shandong Province: Starting from July 1, fishermen in the shellfish farming areas designated in Jiaozhou Bay are allowed to use ground trap nets and bottom trawl nets to conduct a comprehensive cleanup of starfish and shell slugs.

Why are starfish called "sea locusts"?

Starfish usually have bright colors and a five-pointed star shape. They always lie lazily on the seabed and look harmless, but don't be deceived by their appearance.

The starfish that came to Jiaozhou Bay to eat clams this time are called "Spiritsa spheniscus" and are the most common starfish species in the northwest Pacific Ocean. They are typical carnivorous animals. Adult starfish are very ferocious and not picky about food. They will eat anything smaller than themselves, such as oysters, abalone, sea cucumbers, etc. Sometimes, they will not even spare their own kind.

What harm does the simultaneous appearance of “Jing’s shell slug” cause?

According to the official Weibo account of Qingdao Ocean Development Bureau, "Blue Qingdao", fishermen have recently discovered an increase in the number of starfish in the waters of Hongshiya, Yinghai, Hongdao, Liuting and other areas in Jiaozhou Bay, as well as a certain number of "Jing's shell slugs", also known as "white mud ants".

This creature is milky white, oval and translucent. It is understood that both starfish and "white mud ants" can prey on farmed shellfish such as clams and oysters, and are a pest of shellfish. Some media reported that this "Jing's shell slug" appeared on a large scale this year, which is the first report in Qingdao Jiaozhou Bay.

Is “white mud ant” also “undersea locust”?

What kind of creature is the "Jing's shell slug" that has appeared on a large scale in the Jiaozhou Bay? Click on the video to listen to the expert's interpretation↓

Is there any other way besides manual salvage?

In the face of the outbreak of starfish and "Jing's shell slug" populations, the local authorities also allowed fishermen to use ground traps and other equipment to clean up for a period of time. In response to the method of "eating all the starfish" proposed by some netizens, experts said that the edible part of starfish is slightly toxic, and it is recommended not to eat too much.

Zhang Guangtao, a researcher at the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences: The most direct way now is to catch them after an outbreak, but prevention is still difficult. Placing traps is a means of removal, and prevention still needs to start with replenishing the population in its early stages.

Source: CCTV Finance