Abstract

This study focuses on the emergence of the modern fishing industry by tracing the development of modern fishing vessels in East Asian waters. The 1920s marked a period of rapid growth, with the Japanese Empire leading the way in constructing a series of modern ports along the Japanese coast, the Korean Peninsula, Kanto Prefecture, and Shandong. These ports provided anchorage for Japanese fishing vessels and served as bases for fishing activities in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea. Fish caught by Japanese vessels were no longer sold as dried or salted fish but were marketed as frozen fresh fish. For example, in the Shanghai market after the 1920s, there was a gradual increase in the availability of fresh fish on ice, many of which were caught by Japanese fishing boats. This shift not only changed dietary habits in modern cities but also sparked nationalistic competition, prompting an active response from Chinese society. In Shanghai, intellectuals debated frozen preservation techniques and the management of fisheries development, recognizing that traditional market trading methods were unsanitary and unpopular with the public. Many seafood vendors appeared in Shanghai, and numerous magazines emerged to promote seafood consumption. This consumption became associated with modern nutritional science and food hygiene issues, and was regarded as more beneficial for health, becoming a new favorite on urban dining tables. This article primarily uses various newspapers, magazines, and relevant archives from early 20th-century Shanghai to discuss the development of the fishing industry. More importantly, it aims to explore changes in modern seafood consumption culture and shifts in nutritional and hygiene concepts through the development of the fish industry.

Keywords: modern fisheries, fish wholesale market of Shanghai, fresh fish, Nutrition, seafood culture