International Journal of Aquaculture, 2025, Vol.15, No.6, 308-316 http://www.aquapublisher.com/index.php/ija 313 also been a wave of establishing laver cooperatives along China's coast. By implementing unified technical standards, order-based purchasing and brand marketing, the quality and market recognition of laver have both been on the rise. In some places, a model of "company + cooperative + farmers" has even been developed. Enterprises sign contracts to purchase at guaranteed prices, cooperatives coordinate production, and farmers focus on farming and breeding. With the popularization of this model, the porphyra industry has shown a significant scale effect, the local economic vitality has increased, and the income of fishermen has naturally risen accordingly (Yu and Chen, 2025). 6.3 Public awareness and ecological branding All regions are making vigorous efforts to shape the ecological brand image of porphyra and enhance its social recognition. For instance, after Fujian's "Xiapu porphyra" was granted a geographical indication, it won the trust of consumers with its pollution-free and high-protein quality, and its product price and reputation have significantly increased. It is reported that after the successful registration of the geographical indication trademark "Xiapu porphyra", the output value of local porphyra enterprises has doubled and the brand benefits have become prominent (Machado et al., 2020). The government and enterprises promote the cultural and health values of porphyra through food programs, exhibitions and other means, enabling more people to understand and recognize the porphyra industry. With consumers' preference for green and healthy food, brands such as "Organic Seaweed" have emerged. A good brand image and social support also force enterprises to strictly control quality and promote the healthy development of the industry. 7 Case Study: Sustainable Development Model of the Porphyra Industry in Fujian Province 7.1 Economic contribution and environmental management of porphyra farming in coastal Fujian Fujian is the top province in China for porphyra cultivation, with its output accounting for a significant share of the national total. The province's porphyra cultivation area exceeds 70 000 hectares (with an output of approximately 80 000 tons in 2019, accounting for nearly one-third of the national total). Porphyra has become a pillar industry for increasing the income of coastal fishermen. All regions in Fujian attach great importance to environmental management: strictly control the density of aquaculture, regularly clean up residual algae and waste, and keep the sea areas clean. The government has strengthened the supervision of sea use and prohibited blind expansion of aquaculture scale in ecologically sensitive areas. Fishermen's environmental awareness has also been continuously enhanced, and they voluntarily participate in ecological protection activities such as mangrove planting and seedling release. By promoting both economic development and environmental protection, the porphyra industry in Fujian has achieved stable production and increased income as well as a virtuous ecological cycle (Figure 2) (Li et al., 2023). 7.2 Collaboration mechanism among government, enterprises, and research institutions The reason why the porphyra industry in Fujian has been able to continuously innovate is due to a close collaborative relationship formed among the government, enterprises and research institutions. It is not solely the efforts of any one party. The government is responsible for building platforms and providing project funds, while universities and research institutions join hands with leading enterprises to solve front-line problems such as breeding and processing (Wang and Wang, 2025). Researchers often go to the aquaculture sites in person to guide production. This practice of "putting research into business" is not uncommon in Fujian. For instance, the Fujian Provincial Fisheries Research Institute has jointly established a laver engineering technology research and development center with local leading enterprises, achieving breakthroughs in seedling cultivation and processing. One of the results was the successful breeding of new heat-resistant varieties such as the "Shenfu" series (Waheed et al., 2023). Such cooperation has significantly enhanced the technological level of Fujian's porphyra industry and enabled it to maintain a leading position among its peers across the country. 7.3 Successful practices in sustainable cultivation and brand-oriented management Porphyra from Fujian did not become popular overnight. The local area has long been exploring an aquaculture model that combines ecology and economy, such as co-breeding porphyra and shellfish, or regularly allowing the
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