Han River Basin Environmental Office (Director Yong-cheol Choi) released the result of a pilot project to eradicate ecosystem-disturbing largemouth bass by installing and using artificial spawning ground in Paldang Lake.

Han River Basin Environmental Office installed 17sets of artificial spawning ground for largemouth bass in the lower reaches of Gyeongancheon stream on May 11, 2010 and checked them on a regular basis for 44 days. As a result, it found two times of spawning and captured 13,000 fertilized eggs and 1,500 fry and eliminated them. As a hatching rate of largemouth bass is about 90~95%, it is equivalent to eliminating at least 13,200 largemouth bass (including fertilized egg and fry).

The artificial spawning ground was produced by a private fish laboratory with a plastic frame (750 x 600 x 370 mm) and gravels (20kg), creating the best condition for spawning.

The office plans to create artificial spawning ground in Paldang Lake within this year so as to induce spawning and eliminate fertilized egg with the expectation that indigenous fish species can be protected and healthy water ecosystem can be secured.

□ Making and installing artificial spawning ground

□ Fertilized egg and fry of largemouth bass

□ Maintenance of an artificial spawning ground and removal of fertilized eggs