First Auction of 109 Tons of Wando Seaweed Grown in Pristine Sea

Published 04 Nov.2022 09:43(KST)

Expecting Increased Production Due to Favorable Water Temperature and Marine Conditions

Wando County has started the first auction of seaweed (Photo by Wando County)

[Wando=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Kyung-pil] Wando-gun, Jeollanam-do announced on the 4th that the first sale of seaweed was held on the 3rd at the seaweed auction site in Dangin-ri, Gunoe-myeon.

On that day, 11 fishing households participated, auctioning a total of 109 tons in 910 bags (based on 120 kg per bag), with prices ranging from 100,000 to 130,000 KRW per bag.

This year, due to favorable water temperature and sea conditions and timely harvesting, production is expected to increase.

Wando-gun has 379 fishing households (11,636 hectares) engaged in seaweed farming, with a total facility amount of 152,974 racks including Chamgim and Dolgim. Last year, the seaweed auction recorded about 73,900 tons and 107.8 billion KRW in sales.

The county is expanding the certified buoy supply project to produce clean and high-quality seaweed, and is promoting projects such as seedling supply, seaweed activation agents, and harvesting machine support to increase the income of seaweed farming households.

A county official stated, “We will make further efforts to contribute to the development of seaweed farming and the increase of fishermen's income, including early completion of the development of superior varieties suitable for our region.”

Meanwhile, the Wando sea is formed of maekbansuk (basalt) which purifies and generates nutrient salts, making seaweed including seaweed taste good. Various types are produced, from thin and soft traditional seaweed to paraegim with a unique seaweed scent, dolgim with a mild taste, thick and coarse but savory gopchanggim, and jujusik dolgim.

Wando seaweed can be purchased at Wando-gun’s representative shopping mall, Wando-gun eShop.