Gyeongsangbuk-do succeeds in mass production of young smelt for the first time in South Korea

The Gyeongsangbuk-do Fisheries Research Institute announced on the 28th of last month that it was the first in Korea to discover the growth process of smelt, which is gaining popularity for ice fishing, sashimi, and tempura, and succeeded in mass production. The Local Fish Industry Center plans to stock 30,000 smelt fish at major dams and reservoirs in the region from July to August. Smelt is a cold-water fish that grows to about 15 cm in length. Until the mid-2000s, about 100 to 230 tons of smelt were produced annually and exported to Japan. However, due to recent environmental changes in major dams and reservoirs in the province, genetic degradation, and high temperatures, the production of smelt has sharply decreased from 23 tons in 2020 to 6 tons last year and 1 ton as of the first half of this year, posing a risk of cessation of fishing activities. For research on smelt seed production, the Local Fish Industry Center secured 50 kg of smelt mother, presumed to be an anadromous ...