International eel symposium, 2003 - Quebec August 11, 2003 <
Oral Presentation br>
Inter-Annual Variation in Glass Eel Catch of Anguilla japonica in Korean Estuaries

Lee, T.W.* Department of Oceanography, Chungnam National University, Taejon 305-764, Korea twlee@cnu.ac.kr
Moon, H.T. Department of Oceanography, Chungnam National University, Taejon 305-764, Korea
Kim, W.S. Marine Environment and Climate Change Laboratory, Korea Ocean Research and Development Institute, Ansan, PO Box 29, Seoul 425-600, Korea
Stewart, T.J. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Lake Ontario Fisheries Unit RR # 4, Picton, Ontario, K0K 2T0, Canada

Presenter email address: twlee AT cnu.ac.kr

Abstract Text: Annual production of fully grown eels in Korea ranged from 7,000-13,000 mt. Almost all were derived from the culture of wild glass eels. Annual demand for glass eels to support the culture industry was about 7-13 mt. The annual catch of indigenous glass eels varied from 2.5 to 8.5 mt, and the remainder was imported. Better information on factors regulating the catch of wild eels is required to improve the management of the culture industry and sustain wild stocks. We obtained information from purchase records and interviews of individual glass eel traders of Jeju Island and derived estimates of the daily catch of glass eels for the years 1991-1999. We describe the daily variation in glass eel catch. Catches were highest during the new moon. In general, the fishing season started when estuary temperatures cooled to around 14 ^oC. As result, cool years were associated with early and longer fishing seasons. In the El Nino year (1998), the catch of glass eels was lowest. Results from additional analysis using multivariate statistical methods will also be presented.