Cuttlefish Population Bounces Back in Gunsan: A New Boost for the Local Economy?

[Anchor]

The catch of cuttlefish in Gunsan, which had plummeted due to overfishing and other factors, is recovering to previous levels. This success is attributed to initiatives such as releasing juvenile cuttlefish and creating spawning grounds. The city of Gunsan is now working to promote the cuttlefish as a signature local seafood product, even developing a mascot to raise awareness.

JTV reporter Kim Jin-hyung has the story.

[Reporter]

Juvenile cuttlefish swim vigorously after being released into the blue sea.

Children wish for the released cuttlefish to grow up healthy.

Once a representative species of the West Sea, the annual catch of cuttlefish dropped to 200 tons due to factors like indiscriminate overfishing. In response, projects to release seeds and create spawning grounds have been underway for the past three years.

As a result, the cuttlefish catch increased to 550 tons last year, gradually returning to historical levels.

To further boost production, Gunsan City plans to invest 4 billion won to create habitats and install spawning facilities in the waters off Yeondo, Bangchukdo, and Biando islands.

[Park Chang-yong / Fisheries Resource Manager, Gunsan City: The Korea Fisheries Resources Agency has patented a spawning habitat design that allows for more eggs to be attached. We expect this to lead to higher production volumes.]

Gunsan City has also developed an official mascot named "Gaptori" to represent the cuttlefish and plans to launch various products that combine festivals, tourism, and cultural content.

[Kang Im-jun / Mayor of Gunsan: When people travel, it is not just about sights; food and entertainment are also important. All these elements must be combined to attract more tourists.]

With efforts ranging from resource recovery to brand development now in full swing, attention is focused on whether the cuttlefish can breathe new life into Gunsan's fishing industry.

(Video by Jeong Hee-do, JTV)

JTV Kim Jin-hyung
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.