On April 27, 2025, Associate Professor Debbie Bower from the School of Environmental and Rural Science of the University of New England, Australia, accompanied by Associate Professor Zhao Liangjie and Lecturer Hu Zhiguo from the School of Fisheries, visited the Xinyang Yellow-margined Box Turtle Rescue Center, Huangchuan Jinyuan Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd., Henan Hualai Times Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Technology Co., Ltd., and Henan Jiuxing Fengyuan Aquatic Breeding Co., Ltd. The delegation conducted in-depth investigations and academic exchanges on topics such as ecological conservation, breeding technologies, industrial development, and the sustainable utilization of turtle and softshell turtle resources. 

At the Xinyang Yellow-margined Box Turtle Rescue Center, Associate Professor Bower inspected the relocation conservation project for the Yellow-margined Box Turtle. The center’s director provided a comprehensive introduction to the establishment of the rescue center, its mission, and the breeding techniques for the species. Both parties discussed cutting-edge research topics, including eDNA monitoring technology for the Dabie Mountain Yellow-margined Box Turtle, juvenile sex ratio regulation, and wild population recovery. Associate Professor Bower highly praised the conservation achievements of the rescue center and our university’s expert team, while also sharing Australia’s experiences and case studies in turtle conservation. This exchange laid a solid technical foundation for future collaboration. 

In Huangchuan County, Associate Professor Bower and her delegation explored the ecological aquaculture industry for the Chinese Softshell Turtle. They visited Huangchuan Jinyuan Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd. (pond-based ecological farming), Henan Hualai Times Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Technology Co., Ltd. (paddy-field farming), and Henan Jiuxing Fengyuan Aquatic Breeding Co., Ltd. (Chinese Softshell Turtle breeding base). Associate Professor Bower gained detailed insights into artificial breeding techniques, rice-turtle co-culture, the conservation of original germplasm resources from the Huaihe River, and the management of the Xiao Huanghe Chinese Softshell Turtle Germplasm Reserve. She engaged in discussions with enterprise representatives and university experts on reserve construction, the promotion of green aquaculture technologies, and the sustainable development of the industry, offering strong approval for the efforts and achievements of our university’s team in enhancing genetic resource conservation for the Huaihe River’s indigenous Chinese Softshell Turtle. 

This exchange not only facilitated knowledge sharing and technical communication in the fields of turtle ecology and industrial applications, but also established collaborative agreements on several key research topics. Both parties agreed to combine their scientific strengths to conduct joint research on endangered species conservation technologies, innovative ecological aquaculture models, and the development of germplasm resource banks, with the goal of providing expertise and solutions for the sustainable utilization of turtle and softshell turtle resources. 

This visit marks a new phase in the collaboration between our university and international institutions in ecological conservation, while injecting a global perspective into promoting the green development of regional characteristic aquaculture industries.