Surprise Drone Inspections Along Seosaeng Coast
Evidence Such as Videos Provided to Police
Ulsan's Ulju County is set to eradicate illegal haerujil (mudflat harvesting) taking place in the fishing villages of Seosaeng by utilizing surveillance drones.
Ulju County was selected in February for the “2024 Drone Demonstration City Development Project,” hosted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and organized by the Korea Institute of Aviation Safety Technology.
With 650 million KRW in national funding and 300 million KRW in county funding, Ulju County will pursue two projects under the theme “Green Ulju with Drones”: the “K-Drone Delivery Project” and “Fishing Village and Fishery Management.”
This fishing village and fishery management project will be conducted in two areas?“crackdown on illegal haerujil using drones” and “fishery management”?from this month until the end of next month.
Previously, Ulju County conducted a preliminary investigation into illegal haerujil, which threatens the livelihoods of fishermen, and planned the project after gathering feedback from the head of the Ulju County Fishing Village Association and the Ulsan Coast Guard.
In Ulju County, village fisheries operated by local fishing cooperatives are mainly targeted for illegal haerujil. This is because it is possible to safely harvest at night, and there are abundant marine products such as abalone and sea cucumber, making haerujil relatively easy.
What makes it even harder for fishermen is that illegal haerujil involves collecting juvenile marine products below a certain size, depleting fishery resources. Although fishermen take turns monitoring for illegal haerujil to protect their resources, on-site crackdowns remain difficult.
Illegal haerujil usually occurs from midnight until dawn. Even if CCTV cameras are installed nearby, perpetrators change the camera angle before harvesting. They also park their vehicles far from the site, making it hard to track their approach, and immediately leave in their vehicles after collecting marine products, indicating a premeditated operation.
As a result, most crackdowns occur when night patrols from the coastal guard (military units) spot flashlight beams at sea and report them to the fishing village association or coast guard. However, even when the coast guard arrives and calls out to those harvesting, they often refuse to come out of the water, dispose of the marine products, or even argue back, asking why their haerujil is being interrupted.
To address this, Ulju County will deploy a special drone in the Seosaeng coastal area, including Songjeong Port, Daesong Port, and Pyeongdong Port, where village fisheries are located, to monitor illegal haerujil. This drone is equipped with various features such as an infrared camera for night filming, a speaker for warning broadcasts, and a searchlight for illuminating the site.
The participating company has received special flight approval for beyond visual line of sight and night flights, and has established a safe surveillance system by applying a real-time drone control system and drone identification management system.
The drone patrols will be conducted without prior notice from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following morning. Video footage captured during the crackdown will be automatically saved to the Ulju County server.
If the drone detects illegal haerujil, Ulju County plans to report it to the fishing village association and the coast guard, and provide the recorded footage to the police as evidence.
County Governor Lee Soongeol stated, “By utilizing drones, we expect to reduce the time and processes needed for crackdowns on illegal haerujil, enabling swift on-site enforcement. We will use advanced drone technology to eradicate illegal haerujil, which threatens the livelihoods of local fishermen, and create a better environment for fishing villages.”
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