The sour taste from the cockles, a representative specialty of Boseong, has prompted the Jeollanam-do fisheries authorities to investigate the cause.
According to the Jeollanam-do Provincial Council on the 7th, the Jeollanam-do Marine Fisheries Bureau recently conducted an investigation into the cause of the sour taste of cockles in collaboration with the National Institute of Fisheries Science's Namhae Fisheries Research Institute.
Since December of last year to last month, there have been cases where cockles produced in Boseong had a sour taste, leading wholesalers to refuse distribution or consumers to demand returns.
Lee Dong-hyeon, a member of the Jeollanam-do Provincial Council, urged an investigation and response during a report on Marine Fisheries Bureau operations at a special session on the 5th, saying, "The sour taste phenomenon is increasing the damage to fishermen."
Some fishermen speculate that the reasons for the sour taste in cockles are environmental factors such as rising water temperatures and mudflat pollution, but they have not been able to pinpoint a clear cause.
The Boseong County said, "It has been analyzed that there is no problem with safety," but added, "We can only assume that the consumption of large amounts of zooplankton is the cause, and the exact causes or components have not yet been confirmed."
Lee noted, "Cockles are a key industry in Boseong, encompassing not only fisheries but also the food service industry," and expressed concern that if the sour taste controversy continues for a long time, it will adversely affect the overall economy of Beolgyo.
Meanwhile, the Jeollanam-do Marine Fisheries Bureau plans to create a stable farming environment, including the purification of fishing grounds. The cockles farmed in Boseong account for about 70% of the national production.