After a Long Journey, Salmon Return to Ulsan’s Taehwa River to Spawn (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
ULSAN, South Korea, Oct. 27 (Korea Bizwire) — Two male salmon have returned to the Taehwa River to spawn, marking the first catches of this year’s migration season, officials in Ulsan’s Ulju County said Monday.
The salmon were captured near Guyeong Bridge, close to the Taehwa River Ecology Center. One measured 73.2 centimeters in length and weighed 3.4 kilograms; the other measured 69.4 centimeters and weighed 3 kilograms.
Since 2016, the center has been collecting returning salmon each fall, fertilizing and hatching their eggs at its facility, and successfully raising young salmon for release the following year.
Eggs collected from early October through late November are fertilized, incubated and reared over the winter, with juvenile fish released back into the river the following March.
First Salmon Return to Taehwa River, Marking Progress in Restoration Efforts (Yonhap)
Officials say the project is helping restore the salmon population in a river long regarded as a symbol of Ulsan’s environmental recovery from its industrial past.
“We ask the public to help protect the salmon that have made their long journey home to spawn safely,” an Ulju County official said.
Researchers will continue monitoring returning salmon through the end of November to better understand migration patterns and improve conservation efforts.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
