7m Mink Whale Bycatch in Samcheok... "The Sea Lotto Worth Billions"

Sold at 117.31 million won

A mink whale was bycaught in the waters off Samcheok, Gangwon Province, and sold at auction for over 100 million won.

On the 26th, one minke whale was bycaught in the East 7 Mile sea area of Samcheok Port, Samcheok-si, Gangwon.
[Photo by Donghae Maritime Police Station]

On the 26th, the East Sea Maritime Police Agency reported that at around 7:30 a.m., a fishing vessel operating 7 miles east of Samcheok Port in Samcheok City discovered a bycaught mink whale while hauling in trap fishing gear. The whale was a female mink whale measuring 710 cm in length, 360 cm in girth, and weighing approximately 3 tons.

The maritime police confirmed that there were no signs of intentional capture using illegal gear such as harpoons.

Mink whales are not designated as marine protected species by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries among cetaceans, so they can be sold at auction. It was reported that the whale was sold for 117.31 million won at the Samcheok Fisheries Cooperative auction house.

On the 26th, one mink whale was accidentally caught in the waters 7 miles east of Samcheok Port, Samcheok-si, Gangwon.
[Photo by Donghae Maritime Police Station]

Mink whales are internationally endangered species. They are classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. According to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), signed in 1993, intentional capture of internationally endangered species is prohibited in South Korea.

Anyone who illegally captures whales faces up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won under the Fisheries Act and the Act on the Conservation and Management of Marine Ecosystems. However, mink whales found dead after being caught in nets are an exception. Mink whales that are bycaught dead and found are sold for large sums, earning the nickname "the lottery of the sea."

In February, a 500 cm long mink whale was bycaught off the coast of Yeongdeok, Gyeongbuk Province, and sold for 72 million won, and during the Lunar New Year holiday, a 450 cm long mink whale was bycaught off the coast of Uljin and sold for 38 million won.