‘Millennium Taste’ Yeongdeok Snow Crab, First Auction of the Year After Closed Season Ends

The season of Yeongdeok Snow Crab has returned.

Kim Kwang-yeol, the mayor of Yeongdeok County, is assisting with the sorting work at Ganggu Port, where the first sale of Yeongdeok snow crabs of the year took place.

Yeongdeok Snow Crab, one of South Korea's finest specialties known for its unique mild taste and aroma, has completed its five-month closed season and was auctioned for the first time this year at Ganggu Port on the 3rd.

Yeongdeok Snow Crab is renowned as the best specialty product, having won the Grand Prize in the seafood category at the 'Korea Representative Brand Awards' last April, among a total of 11 awards. It is characterized by a chewy texture due to its high protein content, rich in essential amino acids, and low in fat, making it widely recognized as a healthy food.

Snow crab fishing starts offshore in November, expands to coastal areas in December, and continues in earnest until May of the following year. The fully meaty crabs are called 'Bakdal Snow Crab,' and only Bakdal Snow Crabs bear the 'Yeongdeok Snow Crab brand tie' on their claws.

On this day, three offshore snow crab trap fishing vessels participated in the auction, with the highest bid per crab reaching 154,000 KRW, and the total sales amounting to 198.85 million KRW.

Kim Gwang-yeol, the county governor, who visited the auction site, encouraged fishermen, merchants from Ganggu Snow Crab Street, and brokers along with Kim Seong-sik, the head of Ganggu Fisheries Cooperative, and exchanged various opinions on the development of the fisheries industry including Yeongdeok Snow Crab.

Kim Seong-sik, head of Ganggu Fisheries Cooperative, said, “With improved transportation infrastructure such as the Sangju-Yeongdeok Expressway and the East Coast Railway, more people are coming to taste Yeongdeok Snow Crab,” adding, “We hope that more snow crabs will be caught this winter, spreading warm vitality to the local economy.”

Governor Kim Gwang-yeol stated, “We will strictly enforce guidance and control to protect the population of Yeongdeok Snow Crab, Korea’s top brand, and make every effort to maintain its reputation through quality brand management.”