Went to Jeju Island to Eat Grilled Galchi... "No Galchi Available" What Happened?

Hairtail Auction Volume at Five Major Jeju Fisheries Cooperatives Drops by 10-40%
Sharp Decline in Hairtail Catch Last Year Due to High Water Temperatures

The Jeju specialty, grilled hairtail fish, is disappearing from restaurant menus. This is because the recent catch volume has sharply declined, despite Jeju being the largest domestic hairtail fishing area, accounting for more than half of the national hairtail auction volume.

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According to the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives on the 9th, among the seven fisheries cooperatives in Jeju, the auction volume of five major cooperatives (Seogwipo, Seongsanpo, Jeju City, Moseulpo, and Hallim) for key auction species decreased sharply by 10 to 40% compared to the previous year (2023).

The rate of decline varied slightly among the cooperatives, but all recorded double-digit decreases, indicating a clear downward trend. In particular, the auction volume of Seogwipo Fisheries Cooperative, which produces the largest amount of hairtail, dropped by 16.4% from 8,307 tons in 2023 to 6,948 tons last year. The auction amount decreased by 11.8%, from 97.914 billion KRW to 86.349 billion KRW.

The auction volume of Seongsanpo Fisheries Cooperative, which produces the second largest amount of hairtail, fell dramatically by 29.2%, from 7,500 tons to 5,308 tons. The auction amount dropped by 27%, from 82.415 billion KRW to 60.13 billion KRW.

The hairtail auction volumes of Jeju City Fisheries Cooperative, Hallim Fisheries Cooperative, and Moseulpo Fisheries Cooperative also decreased by 42%, 28%, and 10.6%, respectively.

The national auction volume of hairtail by fisheries cooperatives decreased by 32.7%, from 52,000 tons in 2023 to 35,000 tons in 2024. The auction amount fell by 26.7%, from 430.7 billion KRW to 315.8 billion KRW.

In the five fisheries cooperatives in the Jeju region, the hairtail auction amount has already decreased by 12.8 billion KRW compared to the same period last year, up to the end of February this year.

This is analyzed to be influenced by changes in resource volume due to adverse weather and high water temperatures, poor fishing conditions, and avoidance of fishing due to sustained high fuel prices. Last year, the hairtail fish schools dispersed and resource density significantly decreased due to water temperatures 2.5 to 4.0℃ higher than average.

As a result of these effects, distribution companies are also exploring sources outside the domestic market. Kim's Club decided at the end of last year to import 400 tons of hairtail from Oman in the Middle East. This is 26 times more than the 15 tons of hairtail imported from Senegal last year. Due to the decrease in Jeju hairtail catch volume and rising wholesale prices, they decided to increase foreign imports.

A cooperative official said, “It seems that the hairtail resources themselves have decreased, possibly because the seawater temperature has risen due to global warming,” adding, “It would be good if the Korea-Japan Fisheries Agreement is quickly concluded so that fishing can be conducted in Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), where hairtail fishing grounds are well established.”