Korea's aquaculture takes full blow of climate change
A putrid stench blanketed the area as about a dozen fishing boats docked one by one at Dara Port in Sanyang-eup, Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province. Every deck was piled high with dead fish. Most were cold-water species, such as Korean rockfish and grey mullet, but there were also considerable numbers of warm-water fish, including filefish. Groups of three or four men boarded the boats and…
A strong odor permeated Dara Port in Sanyang-eup, Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, as about a dozen fishing vessels arrived one after another. The decks of these boats were laden with dead fish, predominantly cold-water species like Korean rockfish and grey mullet, but also a significant number of warm-water fish such as filefish.
Groups of three to four men disembarked and loaded the deceased fish onto an excavator to be transported back to shore. Despite their relentless efforts, it took over half an hour to offload the entire cargo from a single boat. One fish farmer, expressing his despair, stated that their single-hectare cage farm had already suffered the loss of more than 30 percent of its fish, totaling over 500 million won ($371,500).
He lamented that, despite 38 years of experience in fish farming, this unprecedented loss has left him uncertain about the future of their industry. The total number of fish casualties due to rising sea temperatures now stands at 13.53 million.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- Korea's aquaculture takes full blow of climate change koreatimes.co.kr
