Expensive Fish Tuna, 20 Tons Thrown Away Daily... Fishermen Complain "We Worked Hard to Catch Them"

Rising Sea Temperatures in Donghae Increase Tuna Catches
Exceeding Quota Leads to Discarding at Sea
Fishermen Appeal for Countermeasures

Tuna piled up on Yeongdeok beach [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Nayeon] Due to climate change causing rising water temperatures and changing ocean currents, a high-value fish species, tuna, which was rarely seen in the East Sea of Gangwon, has recently been caught in large quantities.

Although catches are increasing, the legally permitted catch quota is far too low, resulting in a significant amount of the caught tuna being discarded back into the sea.

Accordingly, there are urgent calls for measures such as increasing the catch quota and finding ways to utilize the caught tuna.

According to the Gangwon Province East Sea Headquarters on the 31st, the catch volume of tuna, a warm current species, has increased every year recently, with 28 tons in 2019, 31 tons in 2020, and 39 tons last year.

However, tuna catch quotas are set by country under the agreement of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, so it is not possible to catch tuna beyond the quota.

Gangwon Province's quota was 33 tons in 2019, 32 tons in 2020, 44 tons in 2021, and 61 tons this year. The total tuna catch allowed domestically this year is 870 tons, of which large purse seiners in the Busan area were allocated 713 tons, Gyeongbuk Province 74.4 tons, and Gangwon Province 61 tons.

Fishermen argue that the quota should be increased in line with the annually increasing catch volume. They said, "Most of the caught tuna die, causing marine pollution, and discarding tuna caught in nets is becoming increasingly burdensome in terms of time and manpower. The government should strive to obtain more quota from the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission and distribute the allocated quota evenly by region."

A representative from the Gangwon Province East Sea Headquarters said, "Although many tuna are caught, there is a limitation in that the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries cannot arbitrarily adjust the domestic quota."

Earlier, on July 28, about 1,000 dead tuna were found at Jangsa Beach in Yeongdeok County, Gyeongbuk Province. These tuna were discarded by fishermen using set nets in the waters off Yeongdeok.

Fishermen complain, "The catch quota is too low, and after the quota is exhausted, the tuna become a burden," calling for countermeasures.