SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Shuichan] translated by Amy Zhong – July 19, 2017
A batch of Canadian live geoducks weighing 374 kg arrived at Qingdao on July 3 for the first time. They are from the North Pacific of Canada with a value of $20,000 U.S. (The geoducks were shipped on Hainan’s new nonstop flight from Vancouver to Qingdao.)
The new nonstop route between Qingdao and Vancouver not only makes traveling and business trips more convenient but also helps the import of fresh food. Imported food will be delivered to different markets in China from here. For example, after clearance, these geoducks will be transported to markets in Shanghai and Guangzhou.
Qingdao airport has cooperated with relevant agencies and established fast lanes for seafood in inspection, clearance, etc. In order to make sure that all geoducks are alive, the airport has installed some equipment near plane gates to maintain their temperature. And it only takes about 30 minutes for the geoducks to undergo procedures from unloading to clearance. Relevant parties also work together in the import of other seafood to provide greater varieties of fresh food for consumers to select.
Apart from these geoducks, Qingdao has imported other seafood from foreign countries as well. For example, it imported about 450 kg of spotted box crabs from Canada on April 10 this year. The crab arrived alive, even after an 11-hour long journey.
Also, 5.5 ton of frozen salmon from Chile arrived at Qingdao on June 8, worth about $55,000 U.S. No direct flight is available from Chile to Qingdao, so there is one transfer. The temperature has been kept between -3℃ to 0℃ during the 50-hour trip.
What’s more, 360 kg of live Boston lobsters reached Qingdao from Vancouver on June 1. These lobsters were from Halifax, Nova Scotia. They weighed between 0.5 kg to 4 lg, while their length was between 20 cm and 60 cm.