Pollution alarm as tourism businesses contaminate home of China’s hairy crab

Unlicensed farm-stay operations pump waste into nearby streams, tainting a designated drinking water source, report says

Water which used to be safe to drink and wash in has turned a dark colour, say locals

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Waste is being dumped in the waters of the Meirentui Peninsula, contaminating drinking supplies, according to a CCTV report.Photo: Weibo

Published: 2:18pm, 13 Nov 2019Updated: 11:01pm, 13 Nov 2019

A drinking water source in the home of the Chinese delicacy, the hairy crab, has become contaminated as the area has become overrun by tourists and unlicensed farm-stay accommodation, according to China’s state broadcaster.

The environmental problems worsened in autumn as the hairy crabs, or Chinese mitten crabs, matured and tourist numbers peaked, CCTV reported on Tuesday.

More than 1,000 farm stays were operating without a licence on Yangcheng Lake’s Meirentui Peninsula, resulting in waste being discharged in nearby streams, the report said.

Residents said the water – which has turned a dark colour – used to be safe to drink directly and they still used it to wash clothes, mops, plates and food.

Authorities had turned a blind eye to the many businesses piping their waste water directly from kitchens into the rivers, the report said.

“There are sewers but eventually they still lead to the rivers,” an unnamed chef at one farm stay said.

“The water in Yangcheng Lake is connected to all those streams. There are no more fish or snails in the streams,” another resident was quoted as saying.