INCHEON — Native chamdamchi mussels have been released in large numbers into the clean waters off Ongjin County. The species commands prices several times higher than imported mussels, making it a high-value income source for fishing villages.
The Incheon Fisheries Resources Research Institute said it released 350,000 juvenile chamdamchi mussels on the 20th onto rocky seabed in the waters off Daeijak, in Jawol-myeon, Ongjin County, to restore coastal fisheries resources and boost incomes for local fishing cooperatives. The juveniles were raised for about 197 days from fertilized eggs collected in April from superior broodstock, and are premium seed stock measuring at least 0.5 centimeters in shell height that passed disease screening.
Chamdamchi mussels have thick, chewy flesh and a distinctive savory taste. Their market value far exceeds that of the imported Mediterranean mussel commonly sold in Korea, and they trade at tens of thousands of won per kilogram — three to four times higher — in seafood markets, making them a leading high-income species.
Because the species is difficult to farm, supply depends largely on natural harvesting by female divers or diving-gear fisheries. That makes the continued release of premium juveniles a practical key to raising fishing household incomes.
The fisheries industry expects full-scale harvesting to become possible in two to three years, once the released juveniles settle into rock crevices and grow to maturity, delivering hundreds of millions of won in fishing income to local cooperatives.
The research institute is the only organization in South Korea producing and releasing chamdamchi juveniles, and has been releasing artificially bred seed stock since 2016. It plans to advance ecological research geared to climate change and improve intermediate rearing techniques to broaden a stable income base for fishers along the west coast.