Gangwon Province to Release 1.37 Million Juvenile Shellfish Including Northern Surf Clams in Five East Coast Cities and Counties

Expected Increase in Fishers' Income

Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province (Governor Kim Jin-tae) announced on November 30 that from December 1 to 4, a total of 1.37 million shellfish-including 740,000 northern surf clams and 630,000 improved clams-will be released free of charge into the waters of six fishing villages across five cities and counties in the province (Gangneung, Donghae, Sokcho, Goseong, and Yangyang).

Exterior view of Gangwon Provincial Government Building. Provided by Gangwon Provincial Government

The northern surf clams and improved clams to be released this time are high-quality juveniles, each over 1 cm in shell length, that have been cultivated for six months after securing broodstock in the East Sea waters (Gangneung and Goseong) in May of this year, followed by spawning, fertilization, and larval rearing.

The northern surf clam is a large cold-water shellfish species found only in the East Sea region, while the improved clam is distributed along coastal areas nationwide. However, due to a recent decline in resources, there is an urgent need to release juvenile clams produced through artificial seed production.

Since 2011, the Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Cold Water Fisheries Resources Center has released a total of 13.69 million shellfish, including 10.75 million northern surf clams and 2.94 million improved clams. After two to three years, these shellfish are expected to grow into mature specimens over 10 cm in size, significantly contributing to the creation of shellfish resources in coastal fishing grounds and increasing the income of local fishers.

Lee Donghee, Director of the Marine and Fisheries Bureau of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, stated, "The continuous release of high-value shellfish species along the East Sea coast will help restore fisheries resources and generate income for fishers. We will do our utmost to establish a sustainable marine ecological foundation by implementing systematic and effective release policies."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.