Overseas and domestic investors have injected nearly 200 million yuan (about US$23 million) into aquatic production projects in China's biggest freshwater lake, Lake Poyang over the last 11 months of this year.
According to statistics pooled from 16 counties and cities around the Jiangxi province lake, overseas and domestic businesseshave invested in about 40 aquatic production projects, involving 40,000 ha of the lake surface.
Domestic investors are mainly from the provinces of Jiangsu, Anhui and Zhejiang province. Local officials describe the amount of investment as unprecedented. Despite its sound ecological environment and large water surface, local people have been unable to exploit the natural resources of the lake as the areas are prone to frequent flooding.
The lake absorbs a large volume of flood water from Jiangxi province and China's largest river Yangtze during each flood season. Investors farm crabs, grow pearls and produce other aquatic products in the lake.
(People's Daily December 14, 2001)
