[News Today] DANGER OF ABANDONED FISHING GEAR

[LEAD]
Did you know, 40,000 tons of fishing gear are being discard every year in our seas. This debris, causing 'ghost fishing', leads to economic losses estimated at 400 billion won annually. Such waste not on threatens marine life but also humans as well.

[REPORT]
The southernmost tip of Korean territory.

Waters off Ieodo, known internationally as Socotra Rock, home to the Ocean Research Station.

The Coast Guard boat number 5002 is on high alert.

Escorted by the Coast Guard, officials from the South Sea Fisheries Management Service and a civil boat lift a large
anchor and fishing net from the ocean floor.

The enormous net reaches 1km in length.

It was installed illegally by Chinese fishermen.

Yoo In-keun/ Captain
Nets used by Chinese fishermen do not let even tiny shrimp or fish escape.

Chung Kyung-keun / Seogwipo Coast Guard
Their tightly knit nets do not rot. When ships' screw propellers get stuck, technical problems arise and can cause big maritime accidents.

Korea's first 6000-ton geophysical exploration vessel Tamhae-3 launched its operations in Busan in June this year to explore the West Sea.

But instead of the West Sea, it is now in the sea off Jejudo Island.

A look inside the water reveals an abandoned fishing net tightly surrounding the ship's large screw propeller.

Even high-tech vessels cannot escape this trap.

In the past five years, more than 1,800 cases of floating object accidents have occurred in waters off Korea.
More than 370 of them happened to be in the waters off Jejudo Island.

Fishing tools thrown away into the ocean are now posing threat not only to marine creatures but to humans as well.