China will promote the environmentally friendly breeding of aquatic products in order to guarantee the quality of exports, Vice-Minister of Agriculture Niu Dun said on Friday.

Speaking at a conference in Fujian capital's Fuzhou, Niu said checks of pesticide residues will be intensified and a blacklist of problematic producers will be drawn up.

Major companies are expected to take the lead in switching from the pursuit of quantity to quality while striking a balance between economic efficiency and environmental protection, he said.

"The quality of aquatic products is an internationally sensitive issue," Niu said.

This year, the ministry will also put more effort into the study and research of the drugs used in the breeding of aquatic products, he said.

In order to ensure the responsible use of drugs, it will also hold more training on aquatic product diseases prevention and control.

(China Daily March 22, 2008)