The young squid, called 'Chongal Ojingeo,' being indiscriminately consumed. (Image source=Yonhap News)
[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] To prevent the indiscriminate distribution of Korean coastal squid, commonly searched as 'chongal squid' (bullet squid) and other names, the government has decided to sign a business agreement with the private sector.
On the 28th, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced that it will sign such a business agreement with Lotte Shopping. Until now, juvenile squid have been indiscriminately distributed and consumed under names such as 'chongal (bullet) squid,' 'hanip (one-bite) squid,' and 'mini squid,' causing a sharp decline in resources. As of last year, the catch volume of squid was 56,000 tons, a 64.1% decrease from 156,000 tons in 2015.
Accordingly, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries is strengthening crackdowns on juvenile squid fishing while also preparing measures for distribution and consumption stages. Under this agreement, Lotte Shopping plans to block searches for nicknames such as chongal, hanip, and mini squid on its online shopping mall 'LotteON' and others. When these nicknames are searched, a page providing information on the protection of marine resources will be displayed at the top.
The business agreement also includes securing safety in online seafood distribution in preparation for the Japanese government's discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant. The signing ceremony will be held on the afternoon of the 29th at Lotte World Tower in Songpa-gu, Seoul. Kim Jaecheol, Director of Fisheries Policy at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, and Lim Hyundong, Executive Director of Lotte Shopping's e-commerce business division, will attend.
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