Two cage feeding trials were jointly conducted by the American Soybean Association International Marketing (ASA-IM) program and companies associated with the Wanzhou District Fishery Extension Center in Wanzhou, Chongqing, China, to assess the technical and economic feasibility of culturing common carp in LVHD cages in the new Three Gorges Reservoir. The Three Gorges Reservoir is currently under impoundment. Water depth during the 2006 cage feeding trial was approximately 135 meters. Maximum depth when full impoundment is attained in 2009 will be 175 meters.

ASA-IM participated in initial cage feeding trials with common carp in the Three Gorges Reservoir in 2005. The 2005 cage trials identified potential production constraints associated with periodic silt water turbidity and low water temperature in the Three Gorges Reservoir. The 2006 trials continued to evaluate these constraints, with the objective of identifying possible options to overcoming the constraints.