Jeonbuk Province and National Institute of Ecology Join Hands to Boost Ecosystem Conservation Industry

Cooperation in Research, Education, and Exhibition of Biological Resources

Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province will collaborate with the National Institute of Ecology, an ecological research institution, to conduct joint research for the sustainable preservation and coexistence of natural ecosystems.

On the 24th, Jeonbuk Province announced that it had signed a “Business Agreement for the Promotion of Industries for the Preservation and Coexistence of Natural Ecosystems for the Public” at the provincial government conference room.

Jeonbuk Province signed an "Industrial Activation Agreement for the Conservation and Coexistence of the National Natural Ecosystem" on the 24th in the provincial government conference room. Photo by Jeonbuk Province

With this agreement, the two institutions are expected to expand the complete aquaculture technology for Toha, which was first established by Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province, into an environmental improvement industry to maintain a healthy aquatic ecosystem. They will strive for mutual technology development that simultaneously pursues eco-friendly aquaculture and environmental improvement of natural ecosystems.

The main contents of the agreement include: ▲Improvement of eutrophic lakes using the algal consumption habits of Toha ▲Cooperation by industrial sector to increase aquaculture production ▲Cooperation in research, education, and exhibition of local biological resources.

To strengthen the competitiveness of inland aquaculture, Jeonbuk Province has been conducting its own research and technology development since 2019. In 2022, it established the nation’s first mass aquaculture technology for Toha (with four patents), and is currently pursuing a strategy to industrialize Toha aquaculture, which is highly value-added and easy for anyone to farm.

Toha is a term referring to freshwater shrimp species, of which there are about seven in Korea. The Toha most commonly recognized by the public is “Saebengi,” a representative high value-added species, and Jeonbuk Province possesses complete aquaculture technology for Saebengi.

Saebengi plays the role of a “decomposer” in natural ecosystems, consuming animal carcasses and microalgae in water. Due to these characteristics, the National Institute of Ecology has conducted research using Saebengi to remove algae and improve water clarity in ponds and lakes. Since this year, preliminary experimental research on aquatic ecosystem environmental improvement using microalgae, in collaboration with the Jeonbuk Province Fisheries Technology Research Institute, has yielded meaningful results.

Based on these achievements, the two institutions expect to jointly pursue various tasks such as increasing production using Saebengi’s microalgae consumption habits through this agreement, and to achieve multiple outcomes in eco-friendly aquaculture production and the preservation of natural ecological environments.

Meanwhile, through this agreement, Jeonbuk Province plans to establish comprehensive plans and procedures for the multifaceted expansion of the Toha industry, as well as for the preservation of the local natural ecosystem, research on the conservation of native species, the promotion of specialized education and information exchange among institutions and departments, and providing attractions for the public through mutual exhibition hall operations, all aimed at revitalizing the local economy.

Governor Kim Kwan-young stated, “The entry of the new Saebengi species into various industries will breathe new life into the increasingly shrinking inland aquaculture industry. I expect that exchanges and cooperation with the National Institute of Ecology in each field will enhance our expertise. We will continue to give our attention and support to the preservation and development of the local environmental sector.”