Massive antibiotics use found in sea cucumber farming

A pile of dead fish is seen near a sea cucumber farming field near northeastern China's Dalian city. Farmers are reportedly using sodium hypochlorite, also known as bleaching powder, and medical hydrogen peroxide to clean the fields, which pollutes the nearby sea waters and poses death threat to marine animals. [Photo: CCTV]

Offshore species near northeastern China's Dalian city are near to extinction due to the massive use of antibiotics by local sea cucumber farmers, China Central Television (CCTV) reports.

In the Pikou County measuring 93 square kilometres, there are numerous sea cucumber farming fields clustered in the area. Every five years, farmers have to drain the water, harvest the sea cucumbers, clean up the silt, and then spray lime to sterilize the farming fields.

Farmers are reportedly using sodium hypochlorite, also known as bleaching powder, and medical hydrogen peroxide to do the cleaning work.

Previous studies have shown that an overdose of sodium hypochlorite is toxic to fish. Once the chemicals are largely used and emitted directly into the ocean, offshore animals are exposed to a severe death threat.

In order to keep the young sea cucumber alive and growing, farmers would add antibiotics into their living environment. This kills other living creatures, stopping them from stealing the nutrients from the cultured sea cucumbers.

The method is hardly a secret.

Outside a sea cucumber nurturing factory, a journalist with CCTV noticed many chemical cylinders. In a garbage lot, there were small bottles scattered around. The words on the surface of the bottles show that they were antibiotics.

The Sea cucumber industry has been rising rapidly in Dalian over the past few years. Some fishermen say they can no longer find any turtles and shrimps in the area.

Further investigation show that the sea cucumber industry has been stretching from Liaodong Peninsula to Shandong Peninsula, where the Bohai Sea locates.

The sea water there has been polluted and the eco-system is falling apart.