I scratched the bottom with a rake… Sweep even young shellfish and fish eggs

Fishing boats that caught fish by mobilizing illegal fishing gear and scraping off the bottom of the fishing prohibited area were arrested in the sea.

The Boryeong Coast Guard announced on the 28th that it had arrested seven fishing boats on charges of harvesting fish and shellfish from the southern coast of the south west coast of Chungcheongnam-do (violation of the Fisheries Act and Fisheries Support Management Act). These fishing boats are also accused of illegally fishing seafood by entering the prohibited fishing zone.

As a result of the investigation, the offshore net fishing vessel A (13t, 5 crew members) was caught in the sea at 12 p.m. on the 20th, while illegally fishing for seashells 6 miles (9.65 km) west of Hongwon-sang, Seocheon-gun, Chungcheongnam-do. No. B (10 tons, 4 crew members) was arrested at the scene while operating in the southern coast of the South Chungcheongnam-do area around 4 pm on the 25th.

The coastal waters off the southern coast of the west coast of Chungcheongnam-do are rich in fish stocks, and recently, indiscriminately illegal fishing of’offshore type net fishing boats’ took place, the coastal police began intensive crackdown. Offshore net is a fishing industry that captures shellfish using a net (fishing gear installed with nets). Shellfish are collected by pulling the frame down to the floor in the shape of a rake or dustpan.

When working, you must follow the relevant regulations. However, it turned out that some fishing boats scraped deep into the bottom with rakes made heavy by attaching weights to their gears to collect more shellfish. In the process, crabs and shellfish as well as fish eggs were captured.

All of the fishing vessels caught this time were operating in a prohibited fishing area. In the prohibited fishing area, fishing is abundant because other fishing vessels do not enter the area, so illegal fishing continues despite intensive crackdowns by the relevant authorities, such as the Coast Guard. It is a so-called’tragedy of the commons’.

According to the current Fisheries Resource Management Act, the fishing prohibited zone for offshore net fishing vessels is about 1 mile (1.6 km) west of Sapsido, Boryeong-si, Chungcheongnam-do, and 5 miles (8.04 km) northwest of Yeondo, Gunsan-si, Jeollabuk-do.

The relevant authorities, such as the sea and police, have low penalties for fishing using illegal fishing gear or frequent entry into prohibited fishing areas. Both the Fisheries Act and the Fisheries Resource Management Act stipulate that a fine of not more than 10 million won is imposed. There is no prison sentence itself. This is why it is argued that it is necessary to strengthen penalties to eradicate illegal fishing.

“The sea resources are limited, but if you do illegal fishing, the tragedy will inevitably repeat,” said Ha Tae-young, head of the Boryeong Coast Guard. “Fishing workers ask you to stop illegal fishing with the thought that you will safely pass the sea, the source of life, to their descendants.” .

Boryeong = Reporter Shin Jinho [email protected]