Reborn, the elusive guest of the East Coast 'Gaeryangjogae' returns... Gyeongbuk Fisheries Resources Research Institute succeeds in restoring proprietary technology

Tourism Resources and Income Value Addition in the East Coast Region

Premium clams known as Jinju clams, also called improved clams, juveniles (young clams) that bring back memories of catching them with hands and feet.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Gwiyeol] The Gyeongbuk Provincial Fisheries Resources Research Institute will release 480,000 improved clams into the coastal waters of four local cities and counties (Pohang, Gyeongju, Yeongdeok, Uljin) from the 26th to the 28th to increase fishermen's income through the creation of high value-added fishery resources.

The improved clam is a species whose resource quantity has recently sharply declined, making it difficult to find along the coasts nationwide, and even securing broodstock for seed production was challenging.

Accordingly, the institute managed to secure 120 kg of broodstock from Goseong, Gangwon Province in April, and by the end of May, successfully induced spawning of mature broodstock and achieved artificial hatching.

Afterward, by feeding cultured microalgae, they raised the clams for five months and accomplished the remarkable feat of producing 480,000 improved clams measuring 1 to 2 cm.

Widely known as the so-called ‘Myeongju clam,’ it is a premium species with nostalgic memories of being caught by hand and foot at beaches in the past, mainly inhabiting sandy areas at depths of around 10 meters, and is highly favored by fishermen.

It used to be a major source of income for fishermen through fixed net fishing, but as the resource quantity rapidly decreased, the release project of juvenile clams produced by artificial seed production is urgently needed.

For sustainable resource management, efforts are required to establish fishermen's sense of ownership and to eradicate illegal fishing, including overfishing, to restore resources.

Kim Seonghak, Director of the Marine Fisheries Bureau of Gyeongbuk Province, said, “We will identify suitable release sites mainly around major beaches in the province to provide attractions and food such as clam catching experience programs, and at the same time, through continuous research on mass production, we will strive to establish this as a specialized product of the East Coast and revitalize the local economy.”

The improved clam, also called yellow clam, Myeongju clam, Myeongji clam, and mil clam, is mainly distributed in the East China Sea, Taiwan, Japan, and Korean waters.

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