Muan-gun Initiates Recovery of Webfoot Octopus Fishery Resources

120kg of Female Jjukkumi Stocked... Natural Release Scheduled Around May 1

Muan-gun stocked 120 kg of adult webfoot octopus in two coastal cage sites in Apchang and Jangjae areas of Mangun-myeon. (Photo by Muan-gun)

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Oh Hwanju] Muan-gun, Jeollanam-do (Governor Kim San) announced on the 19th that on the 15th, 120 kg of adult jjukkumi (webfoot octopus) were stocked in two coastal cages in the Apchang and Jangjae areas of Mangun-myeon for natural hatching and release of jjukkumi.

The jjukkumi hatching and release project is conducted by installing conch shelters within the marine cages, which serve as spawning and habitat sites for adult jjukkumi, inducing spawning and supplying food (clams) until the natural spawning period of juvenile jjukkumi to promote natural hatching.

One month after stocking, adult jjukkumi spawn an average of 270 to 290 eggs per individual, and the juvenile jjukkumi that have grown will be naturally released around the start of the fishing ban period on the 1st of next month.

This method improves issues such as deformities that may occur during spawning and hatching in land-based tanks and difficulties in adapting to the marine environment.

Since 2015, the county has conducted the natural hatching and release project annually, resulting in increased catches in Tando Bay and Cheonggye Bay, receiving great support from fishermen, and plans to continue the release project going forward.

Governor Kim San said, “We will do our best to restore resources such as octopus and jjukkumi, which are representative seafood products of our county,” and added, “We ask everyone to strictly observe the fishing ban period from the 1st of next month to the end of August to realize sustainable fisheries.”