ARTIFICIAL SPAWNING OF EGG COCKLES

[Anchor Lead]

Egg cockles is one of the winter delicacies on the west coats of Korea, but their population has dwindled sharply in recent years. The government of Chungcheongnam-do Province has succeeded in the artificial spawning of egg cockles, raising hopes of the mollusc's restoration.

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Egg cockles shaped like a bird's beak are known for their chewy texture and a nice, salty taste. These molluscs used to be widespread in Korea, but recently their population has declined sharply. A kilogram of egg cockles now costs more than 100,000 won, and even a festival dedicated to the clams was postponed this year. The egg cockle catch has been on decline every year since peaking in 2003. Recently, it plummeted to around 300 tons. This year, only 100 tons of the clams have been caught.

[Soundbite] LEE HONG-JUN(CHUNGCHEONGNAM-DO PROV. RESIDENT) : "It's quite desperate. We used to catch 30 kg at once during low tides, but now it's more like treasure hunting."

The government of Chungcheongnam-do Province has succeeded in the artificial spawning of egg cockles after four years of efforts. As egg cockles feed on phytoplankton, the researchers cultivated phytoplankton en-masse before creating a breeding environment for egg cockles.

[Soundbite] LIM MIN-HO(FISHERIES RESOURCES RESEARCH INST. OF CHUNGCHEONGNAM-DO PROV.) : "The key is to supply appropriate amounts. Different kinds of plankton must be supplied in phases, and we have that technology."

The new technology allows to raise the clams to be one centimeter in size before they are released to the ocean. This has also significantly enhanced their survival rate. The researchers are poised to continue the development of egg cockle breeding technologies that can be used even at inland fish farms.