[Vanished Squid] ① Ulleungdo Dries Up as Chinese Fishing Boats Drag Nets 1500km Offshore

Popularity of Squid Captivates Chinese Taste Buds, Chinese Fishing Boats Travel 1500km to North Korean Waters for 'Squid Pair Trawling'
Rising Sea Temperatures and Marine Environmental Changes Expand Squid Distribution Range, Accelerating Decline in Catch Volume

A reporter who directly participated in the fishing operation of an 11-ton squid boat at Jeodong Port, Ulleung-gun, caught squid using manual jigging. Only 20 squid were caught during about 7 hours of fishing that day. Photo by Kim Heeyoon

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] “They are just not being caught.” On the 11th of last month, at Jeodong Port in Ulleungdo, Korea’s representative squid production area, fishing boats were densely docked instead of fishing. The squid catch, which has steadily decreased over the past decade, is expected to hit its lowest point this year. The Jeodong Port fish market, once bustling with squid so abundant there was no room to step, is now filled with the sighs of fishermen idling due to lack of work. What is the reason for the disappearance of squid in Ulleungdo?

After two days of fishing, when a mainland-registered vessel arrived, the previously quiet Jeodong Port fish market briefly came to life. About ten bidders gathered in front of the boat, and squid boxes were continuously loaded on the deck, but the captain of the 40-ton jigging vessel, which caught 175 bundles (3,500 squid) that day, wore a consistently grim expression. When asked if the catch was large, he replied, “It’s less than a quarter compared to previous years.” At the auction that followed, squid was traded at 117,800 KRW per bundle (20 squid). A grandmother who has been processing squid at Jeodong Port for 40 years said, “In the past, squid piled up like a mountain at the auction site, but now they are just not being caught.”

The deepening worries of fishermen are clearly reflected in statistics. According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries’ coastal fisheries production data released in December, squid production in October was 2,000 tons, an 82% decrease compared to the previous year. The Statistics Korea’s fisheries production trend survey also showed that squid production in 2018 was 5,099 tons, more than a 50% decrease from 11,709 tons the previous year.

The appearance of Chinese fishing vessels captured near the waters off Ulleungdo. The scale of the light used for attracting fish on Chinese vessels, which are not subject to brightness regulations, is striking. Since they operate using the pair trawl method, they boast an overwhelming catch volume compared to domestic fishing vessels that mainly use jigging. Photo by Captain Bang Jaegwan

Domestic vessels face ‘brightness restrictions’, Chinese vessels have ‘no limits’

Captain Bang Jaegwan, with 30 years of squid fishing experience, took out his phone to show a photo. He pointed to the boat in the photo and explained, “This is a Chinese fishing vessel we met at sea during fishing.” While domestic vessels use lighting arranged in 1 row and 2 columns, the Chinese vessel had lighting arranged in 5 rows and 2 columns. Captain Bang added, “The brightness of the Chinese vessel’s lights is nearly twice as strong as that of domestic vessels.” Currently, the brightness standard for domestic squid vessels is limited to a maximum of 141 kW. In contrast, Japan allows 250 kW for vessels under 185 tons and unlimited brightness for larger vessels, and China reportedly has no such standards. This is why domestic vessels are at a disadvantage.

Park Illrae, head of the Jeodong Fishing Village in Ulleung County, pointed out the causes of the squid catch decline as “indiscriminate overfishing by Chinese vessels and increased squid consumption within China.” So, how much squid is consumed inland in China? According to a local Chinese travel agency official, squid has been the best-selling menu item at street food stalls across China over the past five years. He said, “Taiwanese-style whole fried squid and iron plate grilled squid have become national snacks, and now they can be easily found throughout China.” Searching for squid iron plate grill (鐵板?魚) on Chinese portal sites and social media easily reveals photos and videos of skewered squid piled like mountains.

Movement route of Chinese fishing vessels. Chinese fishing vessels departing from ports in the Shandong Peninsula region, a representative fishing base in China, travel approximately 1,500 km to catch squid and begin full-scale fishing operations in the East Sea waters of North Korea. Graphic by Jin-kyung Lee, Designer

Chinese vessels travel 1,500 km to catch squid that captivates Chinese tastes

As squid captivated Chinese tastes, Chinese fishing grounds expanded beyond the West Sea and South Sea to the East Sea. According to data from the Korea Maritime Institute, since the North Korea-China Fisheries Agreement was signed in 2004, 1,904 Chinese vessels operated in the North Korean East Sea fishing grounds via Korea in 2014, and 1,268 vessels in 2016. The entry fee per vessel set by the North Korean government is known to be $30,000 to $40,000 (approximately 34 million to 46 million KRW), and the distance from ports in Shandong Peninsula, China, to the North Korean East Sea fishing grounds is about 1,200 to 1,500 km, with fuel costs alone reaching about 100 million KRW.

The North Korean East Sea fishing grounds have long been known as a golden fishing ground rich in fishery resources. However, experts estimate that North Korea’s fisheries environment is poor, judging from squid fishing boats revealed in recent North Korean defector deportation incidents. Because large-scale fishing is impossible in North Korea, it has leased the East Sea fishing grounds to Chinese vessels as a means of earning foreign currency. These vessels, mainly fleets of 50 to 200 tons, use unregulated bright lights and trawl fishing to sweep squid from the East Sea. As a result, the squid population in Korea’s East Sea fishing grounds has significantly decreased due to overfishing by Chinese vessels’ trawl nets, which catch squid migrating south in winter.

The scene at the squid auction market in Jeodong Port, Ulleungdo. The story of boxes tightly packed with 1 chuk (20 squids) is now a thing of the past. On this day, the winning bid for 1 chuk of top-grade Ulleungdo squid was 117,800 won. Photo by Kim Heeyoon

“Catch will decrease due to rising water temperatures and marine environmental changes”

Kim Jungjin, a researcher at the Coastal Resources Division of the National Institute of Fisheries Science, said about the decline in squid catches in Ulleungdo, “The impact of Chinese vessels fishing in North Korean waters appears to be quite significant,” but also analyzed, “Another cause is the high fishing intensity on limited resources due to illegal joint fishing by domestic vessels in the East Sea over the past decade.”

He added, “As water temperatures rise, the proportion of fishing grounds around Ulleungdo is decreasing, and the distribution range of squid is moving northward offshore. Unlike in the past, marine environmental fluctuations are increasing, making short-term resource recovery increasingly difficult.”

As the decline in squid catches prolongs, some voices express concern, saying, “Will squid become extinct like pollock?” Meanwhile, Nam Han-kwon, a captain belonging to the Jeodong Fishing Village, insisted, “If the government establishes regulations on Chinese vessels and strengthens management and supervision of domestic illegal trawl vessels, squid will definitely return.”

The habitat and spawning grounds of squid are changing. Chinese vessels’ squid fishing in North Korean waters is also expected to continue for the time being. The feelings of Ulleungdo fishermen, who greet the first sunrise of the new year at the place where the sun rises first in Korea, are complex and mixed.