This is how the most common seafood is farmed. Photo documentary oyster culture on Fujian beaches

Oysters, one of the most common seafood, are abundant along China's long coastline. Compared with other kinds of seafood, oyster farming should be relatively simple. On a beach in Fujian, you can see oyster farms.

Oysters do not need to be fed, nor do they need too much care. They only need to plant wooden or concrete stakes on the beach, hang ropes tied with special plastic sheets, and basically give the rest to the sea. When the tide rises, the sea water will submerge all these piles, and the oysters will attach themselves to the parasitism, and then grow slowly under the nourishment of the sea water.

A dense mass of specially made plastic pieces newly hung from stakes.

Oyster farming is simple, but it is not easy. Fishermen who raise oysters have to come and look after them from time to time.

Under the impact of seawater, the planted piles often topple, and the ropes hanging oysters often break, so they need to be replanted and retied, which is one of the most common tasks in the oyster farming process.

The cultivation of oysters depends entirely on the sea for food. As long as there is no problem with the seawater, oysters can grow normally. However, once there is any problem with the seawater, such as red tide or abnormal salinity, oysters will die in large areas, and all the previous hard work will be wasted.

Oyster farming is basically in the open outdoors, in some places, but also must prevent fast-growing oysters from being stolen away by others.

An oyster farming aunt carries a few strings of falling oysters in her hand.

Oyster farming cycle is long, so the fishermen must keep constant care.

An uncle stood at his oyster farm, watching the slow-growing oysters and the slowly rising sea in the distance.