Gunsan City Establishes 'Cuttlefish Spawning and Habitat Area' in Okdo-myeon Waters

Final Selection for Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries Aquatic Resource Development Project... Securing 2 Billion KRW in National Funding

Gunsan City in Jeonbuk Province plans to create a spawning and habitat area for cuttlefish in the Okdo-myeon waters by 2028 to increase fishery resources and revitalize the fishermen's economy.

According to Gunsan City on the 27th, it was finally selected for the spawning and habitat area creation project for fishery resources led by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries for next year, and will develop the Okdo-myeon waters over five years from 2024 to 2028.

Cuttlefish spawning ground. [Photo by Gunsan City]

This project aims to restore and enhance fishery resources through systematic management by creating spawning and habitat areas for species targeted for resource recovery, with 50% of the project cost funded by the national government.

The city started a basic plan research service for the creation of spawning and habitat areas for fishery resources last year and completed it earlier this year. Based on this, the city submitted a project plan and preliminary impact assessment to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries’ public contest and was finally selected by the Fishery Resource Creation Evaluation Committee.

A total of 13 sites applied for this contest, and 6 were selected. Gunsan City was finally chosen as a new project site for the cuttlefish spawning and habitat area creation project.

Accordingly, the city plans to invest a total of 4 billion KRW (2 billion KRW national funds, 2 billion KRW local funds) over five years starting next year in the Okdo-myeon waters to promote the creation of cuttlefish spawning and habitat areas, feeding grounds, and environmental improvement projects.

Cuttlefish is a high value-added species with a high unit price per individual and has traditionally been widely caught in the Gunsan waters, but recently its resource volume has been declining. It is expected that the creation of cuttlefish spawning and habitat areas centered on the Okdo-myeon waters will increase the cuttlefish resource volume in the waters under Gunsan’s jurisdiction.

Lee Seong-won, Director of the Fisheries Promotion Division, said, "This selection in the contest is expected to contribute to the recovery of fishery resources and have a positive impact on increasing fishermen’s income," adding, "The fishery resources in the Okdo-myeon waters will be linked and spread to nearby waters, so the effect of the project is expected to be even greater."

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