‘국내 첫 이상조류’ 충남 천수만…원인은 나왔지만 책임은 못 밝혔다

A recent report revealed that the unusual red-brown odor emitting from the waters off Cheontwomun in Chuncheon, South Chungcheong Province was caused by a large bloom of a certain microscopic organism called heterostrigma. The report, issued by the Chuncheon Province, stated that this phenomenon occurred due to the mixing of different microscopic organisms in the water.

The analysis was conducted by the Chuncheon Research Institute, the National Oceanic Research Institute, and the National Marine Biological Resources Institute. They studied the water samples and the amount of water released from the nearby reservoirs. The researchers concluded that the release of water from Cheontwomun reservoir was a contributing factor.

The release of water from Cheontwomun and other nearby reservoirs introduced large amounts of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus into the ocean. The researchers also noted that the speed at which the water was released affected the bloom's development. Water released from Cheontwomun and nearby reservoirs moved faster towards Cheontwomun, while water released from further away reservoirs moved slower.

The Chuncheon Province is the first in the country to report such an unusual event. The provincial government has promised to compensate the affected fishermen under the Livestock Disaster Prevention Act. However, the local fishermen are dissatisfied with the analysis as they believe that the reservoir releases had a significant impact on the bloom.