Pingtan is reporting a bumper harvest of oysters as fisherfolk busy themselves picking up mollusks that will be made into delicacies for the dining table.

"Our oysters are mainly sold to locals and customers in Fuqing," said Shi Meilin of Huadong village in Pingtan’s Aodong town. "The oysters are nutrient-rich and we never need to worry about sales."

Fishers in the village sailed to the shallow sea in the early morning to pick up oysters they cultivated one year ago and hang them on ropes. They returned at noon with full loads for merchants waiting ashore.

The environment in Aodong town, which is situated at the southeastern part of Pingtan Island, is perfect for oyster growing. The water quality is excellent, and the wind is not as strong as other areas on the island. As a result, the oysters grow bigger and attract many people.

Lin Yulin, a local oyster farmer, has harvested more than 20,000 oysters this year, with net income expected to exceed 100,000 yuan ($16,240).

A total of 300,000 oysters are cultivated every year in the village alone, resulting in revenues of more than 2 million yuan, according to villagers.

Edited by Chen Zhilin and Michael Thai