Gyeonggi Marine Resources Institute Releases 100,000 Jjukkumi Octopuses

Employees of the Gyeonggi-do Marine and Fisheries Resources Research Institute are releasing webfoot octopuses.

Gyeonggi Province will release 100,000 juvenile jjukkumi (webfoot octopus).

The Gyeonggi Marine Fisheries Resources Research Institute announced that it will release 100,000 juvenile jjukkumi, hatched in-house, from the 7th to the 20th along the coastal jjukkumi spawning grounds and habitats in three cities: Hwaseong, Ansan, and Siheung.

The juvenile jjukkumi being released this time were collected from high-quality mothers inhabiting Gyeonggi Bay using the nangjangmang fishing method (a fishing technique that captures fish according to sea current flow at a fixed location) and artificially hatched at the institute since the end of April.

The Marine Fisheries Resources Research Institute induced spawning by providing appropriate feed and maintaining water quality for about a month, collected all the spawned jjukkumi eggs, and successfully achieved artificial hatching. The hatched juvenile jjukkumi passed disease inspections before release.

The institute selected release sites in consultation with coastal cities and counties, focusing on jjukkumi spawning grounds or areas where jjukkumi are caught.

Jjukkumi is a sedentary marine species inhabiting shallow coastal waters of the West Sea and South Sea. After release, they grow to about 12 cm within a year and are a major fishery resource in the province, caught through fishing and angling.

The fishing ban period is from May 11 to August 31. Jjukkumi, consumed in soups or stir-fries, is known to be rich in omega-3 fatty acids and essential amino acids, which help regulate cholesterol levels and strengthen immunity.

Kim Bong-hyun, director of the Marine Fisheries Resources Research Institute, said, "Jjukkumi is an important resource for increasing the income of Gyeonggi fishermen and for the development of leisure and tourism industries for the growing fishing population in the metropolitan area. We will develop various marine resources to create a prosperous Gyeonggi Sea."