The following is an interview with Dr Sim Song Bo, director of the academy of fisheries, about the offshore farming in the West Sea of Korea.

Reporter: I think not only the East Sea of Korea but the West Sea of Korea is quite favourable for offshore farming, right?

Director: True. The West Sea of Korea offers nice conditions for offshore farming with gentle current and vast tideland stretching along the coast.

And its mouth is so wide and deep that it reveals the features of a big gulf. The coastal area is dotted with bays, peninsulas and islands of different sizes.

Generally, a gulf area is favourable for offshore farming and aquaculture, as it is less vulnerable to tidal waves or typhoons.

The West Sea of Korea extends deep into the land. It is completely open southward, so the sea water from the ocean flows in freely. Also, as large and small rivers empty into the sea, its water is rich in nutritive salinity.

Reporter: What do you think of exploiting hundreds of thousands of hectares of tideland along the coast of the West Sea of Korea for offshore farming?

Director: The bed of the West Sea of Korea is varied and intricate in composition. This constitutes the main factor for building the ground for breeding bottom fish as well as shellfish, crab, lobster and other species.

And the tideland can be used to grow short neck clam, surf clam, Mactra veneriformis , Meretrix lusoria , jackknife clam, oyster and other species in the overall waters. When they apply advanced methods to keep kelp and mussel in Kangnyong, Ongjin and Ryongyon counties of South Hwanghae Province endowed with favourable natural and geological conditions for offshore farming, they will reap high per-hectare yields.

Meanwhile, when improvement is made in raising the laver unique to Ongjin, a living monument of our country, we can expect to promote laver culture on an extensive scale in the waters off Ongjin and Kangnyong.

The regions with many islands and peninsulas can breed trepang, abalone, large sea urchin and others and conduct cage-net fish farming in the regulating ponds.

Reporter: If the offshore farming is encouraged in the West Sea of Korea, it will result in much profit, I think.

Director: Considerable profit has been gained in the coastal farming in the West Sea of Korea with favourable conditions. We will conduct research activities conducive to the offshore farming in the sea with good prospects for development, so as to guarantee the development of the regional economy in a substantial and far-reaching way.

Reporter: Thank you.