To thoroughly implement the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on the quality and safety of agricultural products, fulfill the requirements of the 2025 Central No. 1 Document and the relevant arrangements of the State Council, balance development and security, focus on prominent issues, adhere to the combination of guidance and control as well as comprehensive measures, comprehensively address the problem of illegal drug use in aquaculture production, improve the quality and safety level of aquatic products, boost the consumption of farmed aquatic products, increase the income of aquaculture farmers, and safeguard the high-quality development of aquaculture and the safety of people's lives and health, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has decided to launch an action to govern illegal drug use in aquaculture production in 2025. The main tasks are as follows:

I. Strictly Guarding the Gate for Aquatic Products to Leave Ponds and Enter the Market 

(1) Solidly Conducting Rapid Testing before Aquatic Products Leave Ponds

Promote the application of rapid testing technologies for the quality and safety of aquatic products. Guide aquaculture farmers to independently conduct testing before aquatic products leave ponds for the market, and encourage fishmongers (aquatic product purchasers) to carry out rapid quality and safety testing before purchasing aquatic products at pond sides, and only accept the goods after passing the testing. Strengthen the capacity-building of aquatic product quality and safety testing at the grassroots level, densify rapid testing networks, and provide convenient and efficient rapid testing services for aquaculture farmers. Intensify rapid quality and safety testing for key aquatic product varieties. If a test result is unqualified, follow-up supervision shall be conducted to urge the implementation of drug withdrawal regulations; aquatic products can only be allowed to be sold on the market after passing the re-test. This will force the standardized use of drugs in accordance with the law during the aquaculture process.

(2) Actively Promoting the "Water-Hanging Purification" Model

Summarize the practices of "suspending feeding and hanging in water to improve quality and efficiency" adopted in some regions before aquatic products are put on the market, and integrate and innovate to form an economical and applicable "water-hanging purification" technical model for key local aquatic product varieties. Organize the demonstration and promotion of the pre-market "water-hanging purification" technical model to accelerate the metabolism of veterinary drugs and other substances in aquatic products, improve the quality and safety level. Guide aquaculture farmers to build quality and safety brands, increase sales prices, and boost aquaculture income, striving to establish a pattern of "quality and safety, high price and high efficiency".

(3) Strengthening Service Support for the Sale of Qualified Products

Strengthen the scheduling of production and sales of aquatic products at the place of origin during the concentrated market supply period. In a timely manner, help aquaculture farmers sell qualified aquatic products by organizing direct production-sales connections between bulk purchasers of aquatic products (such as supermarkets and e-commerce platforms) and aquaculture farmers with qualified products. Create a sound atmosphere where "standardized drug use ensures worry-free sales".

II. Strictly Supervising Aquatic Product Production

(4) Strengthening Risk Investigation and Rectification of Illegal Drug Use

Organize the monitoring of residues of veterinary drugs and other pharmaceuticals in aquatic products being cultured in ponds. Strengthen the analysis of monitoring results to identify regions, time periods, and entities with a high incidence of illegal drug use in aquaculture, and take targeted measures such as education and training as well as technical guidance. Adhere to the linkage between testing and law enforcement. For unqualified products detected, promptly organize a thorough investigation into the causes and handle them in accordance with laws and regulations. Severely deal with illegal acts such as the use of national prohibited (suspended) drugs, human drugs, and bulk drugs; transfer cases suspected of crimes to judicial organs for disposal in accordance with the law.

(5) Strengthening the Prevention of Indirect Risks to Quality and Safety

Strengthen the monitoring of aquaculture epidemics in the region. In case of an epidemic, promptly organize targeted technical guidance on drug use to prevent excessive drug use due to panic over the epidemic. Strengthen the detection of substances (such as malachite green) that decompose slowly in the aquaculture sediment and affect quality and safety. If potential risks are identified, guide aquaculture farmers to clean ponds and change water in a timely manner, and resume aquaculture only after the risks are eliminated, making every effort to eliminate hidden dangers of substandard quality and safety caused by environmental factors.

(6) Strengthening Daily Inspections of Aquaculture Sites

Focus on inspecting aquaculture production records, drug use records, purchase records of veterinary drugs and other materials, aquatic product quality and safety test results, and warehouses for veterinary drugs and other materials at aquaculture sites. Verify whether there is any purchase or use of prohibited (suspended) drugs, human drugs, bulk drugs, or counterfeit and shoddy veterinary drugs, and whether there is any drug use beyond the specified dosage, scope, or time limit. Illegal and irregular acts found shall be handled in accordance with laws and regulations, and relevant departments shall be notified in a timely manner. For seized prohibited (suspended) drugs, human drugs, bulk drugs, and counterfeit and shoddy veterinary drugs, severe disposal shall be carried out in accordance with laws and regulations to form a high-pressure crackdown on illegal drug use.

III. Consolidating the Foundation for Standardized Drug Use

(7) Promoting the Transformation and Upgrading of Healthy Aquaculture

Organize the implementation of the "Five Major Actions" for the promotion of green and healthy aquaculture technologies, and promote ecological and healthy aquaculture models as well as the reduction of drug use in aquaculture. For key aquatic product varieties, organize scientific research and promotion departments to conduct research on healthy aquaculture models, sort out local practices of reducing or eliminating drug use, formulate case studies of healthy aquaculture models, and accelerate their promotion and implementation. Guide aquaculture farmers to change their production methods and improve product quality.

(8) Doing a Good Job in Education and Training on Standardized Drug Use in Aquaculture

Carry out multi-level and multi-form activities to reach fishing villages and visit fishermen. Conduct in-depth publicity on laws and regulations regarding aquatic product quality and safety as well as skill training by distributing "aquaculture drug use guidelines", publicizing legal provisions, pushing short videos on key points of healthy production, launching popular science campaigns on standardized drug use in rural areas, and explaining laws through cases. Continuously strengthen warning education with typical cases to guide fishermen to recognize the legal consequences of substandard aquatic product quality and safety, and consciously improve their awareness and skills of standardized drug use.

(9) Strengthening the Capacity-Building of Grassroots Diagnosis and Treatment Services

Focus on technical directors of large-scale aquaculture farms and aquaculture enterprises, as well as heads of veterinary drug sales stores, to build a team of rural veterinarians specializing in fisheries. Improve the diagnosis and treatment capabilities of aquatic animal diseases and drug use technologies, and guide them to provide nearby diagnosis, treatment, and drug use guidance services. Focus on key technical personnel of aquatic technology promotion at the county and township levels, carry out training on aquatic animal disease diagnosis and treatment services, enhance grassroots service capabilities, effectively meet the needs of aquaculture farmers for disease prevention and control, and ensure the scientific and standardized use of drugs in aquaculture.