South Korea transfers key single-oyster production technology to private sector

The National Institute of Fisheries Science said Tuesday it will transfer core production technologies for single oysters — a high-value seafood product drawing growing industry attention — to the private sector, as part of efforts to accelerate commercialization.

The transfer covers two government-owned patents developed by the institute's South and East Sea Fisheries Research Institute: a larval attachment substrate for artificial seed production of single oysters, and a replaceable-screen juvenile oyster intermediate cultivation device. Both technologies are designed to improve stability and efficiency in single oyster seed production and intermediate rearing.

The larval attachment substrate, called "Butra," is an eco-friendly material made from recycled Pacific oyster shells — a fisheries byproduct — and is specially designed to allow oyster larvae to attach and grow individually. The technology is expected to cut seed production costs by replacing a product that had previously been entirely import-dependent.

The replaceable-screen intermediate cultivation device raises juvenile oysters to a set size in a stable environment. Under the previous system, the entire cultivation device had to be swapped out as the juveniles grew; the new technology requires only the sorting screen to be replaced, improving operational efficiency at aquaculture sites.

"Single oysters are a key product that will drive higher added value across the oyster industry," National Institute of Fisheries Science Director Kwon Sun-wook said. "We will actively support technology transfer and commercialization so that our research results can spread to aquaculture sites and related industries."