Gochang-gun Releases Large Quantity of Juvenile Sea Cucumbers in Gushipo and Dongho Waters

Published 06 May.2022 10:05(KST)

[Gochang=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Jaegil] Gochang-gun, Jeonbuk, released sea cucumbers, a high value-added strategic species, into the Gushipo and Dongho sea areas to restore clean marine fishery resources and establish a sustainable fishery base.

According to the county on the 6th, the 476,000 juvenile sea cucumbers released this time were self-produced through broodstock management and fed with phytoplankton and compound feed, resulting in healthy individuals weighing 2 to 7 grams.

They are expected to grow to market size in 2 to 3 years, contributing to increased income for local fishermen.

Sea cucumbers are representative purifying organisms of the sea that help improve the marine environment by ingesting organic matter accumulated on the seabed.

They are a species with low activity, making the release effect excellent, and are also valued as medicinal ingredients, being called the ginseng of the sea.

The county has released about 770,000 juvenile sea cucumbers from last year to this year.

The Jeollabuk-do Fisheries Technology Research Institute has also released about 3.19 million juvenile sea cucumbers produced in-house into coastal waters of the province from 2007 to last year, and tracking research confirmed that juvenile sea cucumbers are a species suitable for the marine environment of the Jeonbuk area.

Starting next year, the county plans to invest 3 billion KRW in stages for the ‘Sea Cucumber Aquaculture Revitalization Pilot Aquaculture Support Project’ to promote complete aquaculture by establishing sea cucumber aquaculture infrastructure through seed production, intermediate cultivation, and main aquaculture.

Hong Mansu, head of the county’s Marine Fisheries Division, said, “We will do our best to create abundant marine resources by continuously researching suitable species and release volumes for the county’s marine environment, including the promotion of the sea cucumber aquaculture revitalization pilot aquaculture support project.”