Relationship between Dried Seafood and Fish “Lan” (Wholesaler)

Being located at the Pearl River estuary where fresh and sea waters mixed, Macao is blessed with rich fishing resources and has a harbor that makes it convenient for fishing vessels to berth. Its fishing industry had its heyday with a very high turnover generated through selling the catch to coastal cities of China as well as local fish “lans” (wholesalers), which are further divided into fresh fish and salted fish “lans”. In the old days, with the catch bought from fresh fish wholesalers, the salted fish wholesalers cured and sundried the catch to turn them into salted fish, dried fish maw, shrimps and scallops. Nevertheless, the fishing industry of Macao is on the decline, owning to sea pollution that caused a drastic fall in catch. Many salted fish “lans” no longer sell salted fish but switched to sale of dried marine delicacies and herbal medicinal products imported from Southeast Asia or Mainland China.