Gyeongbuk Province Releases and Distributes 600,000 Young Native "Migguri" Fish

Eco-friendly Rice Paddy Aquaculture: Distribution of 300,000 Fish

Release of 300,000 Fish into Rivers and Reservoirs

Mudfish.

Mudfish.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] The Gyeongbuk Provincial Native Fish Industrialization Center plans to produce 600,000 juvenile native Misgurnus anguillicaudatus (Korean weatherfish) this year. Of these, 300,000 will be distributed free of charge to fishermen as part of the "Joint Experimental Aquaculture for Farmers and Fishermen" project to analyze income-generating businesses for inland fisheries industrialization, and the remaining 300,000 will be released into major rivers in the province to restore fish resources.

The juvenile native Misgurnus anguillicaudatus produced this time were spawned starting in May this year and raised over approximately four months of fry rearing, resulting in an annual production of 600,000 fish.

This initiative aims to create new income sources for farmers and fishermen and to establish a new growth engine base for the inland fisheries industry by replacing the more than 8,000 tons of imported Chinese weatherfish consumed annually.

In particular, to improve the productivity of native Misgurnus anguillicaudatus fisheries and to revitalize the eco-friendly rice paddy aquaculture industry, the center has begun recruiting farmers and fishermen for experimental aquaculture within the province, and plans to develop joint experimental aquaculture research into income analysis data for fishermen.

The native Misgurnus anguillicaudatus, a close relative of the weatherfish, is plump-bodied and commonly called "Donggeuli." Compared to weatherfish, it has more edible parts and softer bones, making it highly favored by consumers for dishes such as chueotang (loach soup) and fried preparations as an inland fish species.

Regarding market prices, domestically produced weatherfish, which is considered less tasty, trades at about 12,000 KRW per kilogram, while Chinese imports are around 9,000 KRW per kilogram. In contrast, native Misgurnus anguillicaudatus commands a higher price of approximately 25,000 KRW per kilogram.

Including both native Misgurnus anguillicaudatus and weatherfish, about 10,000 tons are consumed annually in Korea, but domestic production is only about 800 tons per year. Over 9,000 tons (more than 90% of total consumption) of weatherfish are imported from China.

While native Misgurnus anguillicaudatus grows well in rice paddy ecological aquaculture, the high cost of purchasing aquaculture seeds poses challenges to economic viability.

To address this, the Native Fish Industrialization Center plans to develop technology for mass production on land and distribute seeds through pilot aquaculture projects.

Moon Seong-jun, Director of the Fisheries Resources Research Institute, stated, "We will actively continue seed production and release projects to restore inland fish resources and improve farmers' and fishermen's incomes. For native Misgurnus anguillicaudatus, we have developed technology to mass-produce them in indoor aquaculture facilities rather than outdoor ponds, aiming to replace imported Chinese weatherfish with domestically produced native Misgurnus anguillicaudatus."

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