Gyeonggi-do Releases 7,000 'Miyugi' Fry into Five Locations Including Gapyeongcheon River

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province will conduct a pilot release of 7,000 "Miyugi," a catfish-family freshwater fish, into five valleys within the province, including Gapyeongcheon in Gapyeong County, to conserve fish species resources.

The Gyeonggi Marine and Fisheries Resources Research Institute announced on the 14th that it released 3,000 Miyugi fry (young fish) into Gapyeongcheon and plans to release an additional 4,000 fry next month into five valleys, including Baegun Valley in Pocheon City.

The Miyugi targeted for this release were fry cultivated by the institute from about 10,000 fertilized eggs produced by 10 adult Miyugi fish collected between May and June.

The eggs were placed in an artificial seed production device called an incubator, where water was sprayed to move the eggs as in natural conditions, supplying abundant oxygen and increasing egg mobility.

While the natural survival rate of Miyugi is only around 10%, using the incubator improved the survival rate up to 70%.

The simple hatching rate alone is 80%. The institute explained that fry produced using the incubator have better swimming ability than those produced by traditional tank dispersal methods, resulting in higher natural survival rates.

Following this release, additional Miyugi will be released in August at five locations: Baegun Valley in Pocheon City, a clean valley aquatic ecosystem restoration site; Jurok-ri Valley in Yeoju City; Yongso Valley in Gapyeong County; and existing habitats such as Sanasa Valley in Yangpyeong County and Gapyeongcheon.

Since Miyugi was designated as a pilot release species this year, the province will carry out release projects for the next five years.

If Miyugi is officially designated as a release species in 2025, seeds produced by the private sector can also be released, which is expected to increase supply, generate income for fishermen, and restore resources.

Lee Sang-woo, director of the Gyeonggi Marine and Fisheries Resources Research Institute, emphasized, "We have reconfirmed the possibility of stable production of protected species in Gyeonggi Province by increasing hatching and survival rates using the incubator. We will continue to actively conduct production and research to increase population and restore native species through stable aquaculture."

Miyugi is also called Sanmegi or Kkaldakmegi. It is a native Korean species that inhabits clean upper reaches of rivers with clear water and gravel bottoms, making it a fish species with high conservation value. Its body length ranges from 15 to 25 cm, with a slimmer and longer body and smaller dorsal fin compared to common catfish. In the province, it mainly inhabits Gapyeongcheon, Baekduncheon, and Seungancheon in Gapyeong County.

The province designated Miyugi as a protected species in 2012, and since 2015, the Gyeonggi Marine and Fisheries Resources Research Institute and Gapyeong County have continuously conducted Miyugi aquaculture research and developed specialized feed through a mutual cooperation memorandum of understanding for species conservation.

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