Editor's note: Xu Ying, a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN, is a Beijing-based international affairs commentator. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

Amid the arid expanses and dramatic landscapes of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, a quiet transformation is unfolding beneath the waters of its rivers, lakes and even reclaimed salt-alkali land. Once considered an unlikely frontier for aquaculture, the region has rapidly emerged as a national leader in cold-water fish production, pioneering techniques that not only meet domestic demand but also set new benchmarks for sustainable inland fisheries.

The numbers tell a remarkable story. In the first half of 2025, Xinjiang's aquatic output reached 74,800 tons, marking a 6.49 percent year-on-year increase. Among the various species, salmon has become the star performer, with production surpassing 5,000 tons. The Ili River Valley, in particular, has become the beating heart of this new industry, contributing over four-fifths of the salmon yield. Expansions such as the deep-water cage projects in Gongliu County, with millions of fry released into pristine glacial waters, underscore the scale and ambition of local innovation.

Yet, Xinjiang's aquaculture is far from being a one-species story. Alongside salmon, the region cultivates rainbow trout, golden trout, pike, shrimp and crayfish; each adapted to its unique ecological niche. In counties such as Tekes, snow-fed rivers sustain cold-water fisheries, while desert-edge salt-alkali lands in Shache and Jinghe host thriving shrimp and crayfish farms. Here, advanced water-quality regulation has transformed once-barren soils into productive aquaculture hubs, turning saline wastelands into what local farmers proudly call "blue granaries."

This success rests on a distinctive model that blends resource endowment with technological foresight. Xinjiang boasts 46 million mu (about 30.67 billion square meters) of fishable waters, most fed by snowmelt from the Tianshan Mountains – waters rich in oxygen and stable in temperature, ideal for delicate cold-water species.

To harness these natural advantages, the region has invested heavily in smart aquaculture systems. At leading salmon bases, sensors track oxygen, temperature and water quality across 12 parameters, automatically adjusting feeding and aeration. Such digital integration has cut labor costs by nearly a third while boosting yields and quality.

Equally transformative are breakthroughs in seed technology. For decades, local fish farms depended on imported eggs and fry, making them vulnerable to supply disruptions. Now, with the successful establishment of salmon breeding bases and the artificial propagation of triploid rainbow trout, Xinjiang has not only achieved self-reliance but also positioned itself as a national benchmark in seed independence. These achievements in genetics and hatchery science are reshaping the future of inland aquaculture far beyond the region.

What makes Xinjiang's aquaculture particularly striking, however, is the balance it strikes between economic growth and ecological stewardship. Annual fish stocking programs have reintroduced millions of native species into the Ili River, while careful management of water resources ensures that cage farming reduces pollution and maintains high water quality. The clear waters of Sayram Lake, where transparency reaches down to 16 meters, now sustain both fishery production and thriving eco-tourism, embodying the principle of development in harmony with nature.

The social dividends are equally tangible. Aquaculture has created stable employment for farmers and herders, lifting rural incomes and anchoring communities in new industries. In Tekes, cold-water fish farms employ dozens of local workers, while in Shache, crayfish ponds have become the centerpiece of agro-tourism projects, drawing visitors eager to taste "desert seafood" fresh from the source. Cooperatives provide training, technology access and market channels, enabling smallholders to share in the prosperity of an industry once considered out of their reach.

Looking ahead, Xinjiang's ambitions are bold. With salmon production already accounting for nearly a third of the nation's raw consumption, the region aims to consolidate its position as the largest salmon producer nationwide, potentially supplying more than a third of total output in the near future.

Beyond volume, the focus is on deepening the industrial chain: from seed to plate, from processing to cold-chain logistics and from branding to global certification. Already, labels such as "Tianshan Salmon" have found markets across China and are making inroads into Central Asia, bringing inland aquaculture to international tables.

Xinjiang's fisheries journey offers lessons that resonate far beyond its borders. It demonstrates how natural constraints such as scarcity of arable land, saline soils and remoteness from seas can be transformed into opportunities through innovation. It shows that sustainability and productivity are not contradictory but mutually reinforcing when ecological awareness guides development. And it illustrates how modern aquaculture, rooted in tradition yet propelled by science, can become a driver of rural revitalization, ecological restoration and national food security.

In the shimmering cages of the Ili River and the reclaimed ponds along desert edges lies a testament to human ingenuity and resilience. Xinjiang's aquaculture is not merely about producing fish; it is about reimagining how inland regions can contribute to the nation's protein security, how technology can redefine agriculture and how harmony between people and nature can be sustained in the most challenging of environments. From snow-fed rivers to desert oases, Xinjiang has shown that blue dreams can indeed flourish on dry land.

Everyone has long known Xinjiang as a good place; today, it has blossomed into an even better one, where snow-fed rivers, golden fields and blue granaries together tell the story of renewal and promise.

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