（By Yang Meiping）SHANGHAI Ocean University yesterday authorized three enterprises to commercialize a breed of hairy crab that its researchers developed last year.
The crab breed, named “Jianghai 21” and recognized as a national fine breed, is projected to grow faster with higher yield and taste better than previous breeds.
With a contract value of 1.78 million yuan (US$257,520) to allow the three enterprises to use the new breed for five years, the venture also became the first college scientific achievement in new aquatic variety to be commercialized in China, said the university.
An aquatic seeding company in Sheyang County of Jiangsu Province will get technical support for crab seeding.
An aquatic farm in Shanghai and another aquatic farm in Xinghua City, Jiangsu, will cultivate the seeds to juvenile crabs to be sold across the country.
Hairy crab is a popular delicacy in China. In 2015, the crab yield was 820,000 tons, valued at 40 billion yuan.
Though hairy crab is an aquatic product that has the largest cultivation area, highest yield and best economic efficiency in China, most of the crab seeds come from the wild breeds without genetic improvement.
Last year, the university joined with Shanghai Fisheries Research Institute and other organizations to cultivate the new breed, which highlights the features of hairy crabs in the Yangtze River with their white belly, golden claws and yellow hair.
The Agricultural Service Center in Shanghai and Shanghai Agriculture Equity Exchange have provided free service for the commercialization of “Jianghai 21,” the university said.
（来源：《上海日报》，2017年3月16日）