Gyeonggi-do Releases 1 Million Smelt Fry to Increase Fishermen's Income

Gyeonggi Province will release 1 million icefish fry to increase fishermen's income and more.

The Gyeonggi Marine Fisheries Resources Research Institute announced that it will release 1 million icefish hatchlings (young fish about 0.5cm in size, approximately 10 days after hatching) produced in-house on the 9th into Namyang Lake, Pyeongtaek Lake, and Tando Lake.

The icefish hatchlings to be released this time were fertilized from healthy broodstock directly selected last month at Paro Lake in Yanggu, Gangwon Province, and raised at the institute's breeding site.

Fish stocking

In natural conditions (water temperature 8~10℃), it takes about 20~30 days from fertilized egg to hatching for icefish hatchlings, but by using a hatchery and maintaining the water temperature at 12~13℃, the institute can produce young fish in about 12 days.

Gong Jeongsik, Director of the Gyeonggi Province Agriculture, Fisheries and Life Sciences Bureau, said, "Since 2022, we have been intensively promoting icefish resource development projects in Namyang Lake, Tando Lake, and Pyeongtaek Lake, where icefish resources have significantly declined, and we plan to expand the target water areas in the future." He added, "Through the icefish resource development project, we aim to contribute to the conservation of inland water ecosystems in the province and the revitalization of the local economy."

Starting with the release of icefish hatchlings in April, Gyeonggi Province will sequentially release other species preferred by fishermen, such as Korean perch (Sogari), and although economically less valuable, species necessary for restoring the basic ecosystem such as crucian carp (Bung-eo), freshwater snails (Daseulgi), and weather loach (Migguri) for eco-friendly removal of harmful insects like the Oriental mayfly, by October.