Ecologically Sustainable Management of Short-necked Clam, Ruditapes philippinarum, on the Coast of Yeongi at Tongyeong, Korea

통영 연기해역의 바지락자원 적정관리에 관한 연구

In order to develop the sustainable ecological management, short-necked clams, Ruditapes philippinarum, were collected from Yoengi coast in Tongyoeng, Korea. The growth of the clam was estimated as: $L_f=68.08{\cdot}(1-e^{-0.145(t+0.324)})$ from ring radius composition of shell. Instantaneous co-efficiency of total mortality and natural mortality were calculated as: 0.991/year and 0.494/year, respectively. The age of the clams from the first capture was estimated to be 3.28. The total biomass was estimated to be 212 MT in the fisheries area (6.4 ha). Applied by these parameters, the annual recruit biomass and the current yield per recruit were calculated to be 649.5 individual/$m^2$ and $0.7\;g/m^2$, respectively. The current fishing intensity was much lower for maximum sustainable yield and acceptable biological catch. Although higher yield per recruit could be achieved by increasing fishing intensity, it is favorable to retain the current fishing intensity because of the unique fishing attitude on Yeongi coast in Tongyoeng, Korea.