Endangered Species 'Gamdolgogi' Restored and Released into Daejeon Yudeungcheon River

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] Daejeon City will release about 1,500 juvenile Gamdolgogi fish (4~6 cm) into the upper stream of Yudeungcheon at Suryeonggyo Bridge.

The city announced on the 16th that it held a Gamdolgogi release event at Suryeonggyo Bridge with seven partner organizations, including the Geumgang River Basin Environmental Office and environmental groups.

Gamdolgogi belongs to the carp family and is considered a native Korean species with the characteristic of brood parasitism (laying eggs in the nests of other species so that they raise the offspring).

However, recently, their population has drastically decreased, inhabiting only some waters of the Geumgang and Mangyeong Rivers, and in Daejeon, they can only be found in Yudeungcheon. They are classified as a Grade I endangered fish species.

Gamdolgogi is also one of Daejeon's flagship species. Flagship species are organisms that reflect the ecological, geographical, cultural, and social characteristics of a specific region. Daejeon's flagship species include the flying squirrel (mountains), moss salamander (valleys), and Gamdolgogi (rivers).

The event was financially supported by Hankook Tire & Technology, and participating organizations and groups shared roles by field, such as fish breeding and post-release monitoring.

Previously, in September 2018, the city signed an agreement with seven organizations, including the Geumgang River Basin Environmental Office, to promote a project to save endangered species in the Daejeon area. For Gamdolgogi restoration, about 1,500 juveniles (under 3 cm) were released in the first phase in 2019, and about 1,500 adults (over 7 cm) were released in the second phase last year.

Im Muk, Director of the Environmental Greenery Bureau of the city, said, “We hope that the restoration release of Gamdolgogi over three phases will make the local ecosystem more stable and healthy,” and added, “The city will continue to strive to create an ecological environment in Daejeon where people and nature coexist.”

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