Climate-hit anchovy season

[Anchor]

Today (7.1), the summer anchovy fishing season began along Korea’s southern coast.

However, due to rising sea temperatures driven by climate change, the catch was far lower than expected.

Fishermen are increasingly worried about the declining anchovy population.

Reporter Moon Geu-rin has the story.

[Report]

This is the sea off Tongyeong, Gyeongnam, where summer anchovy fishing is currently underway.

Two fishing boats, dragging large nets between them, move forward to catch anchovies.

This marks the start of the summer fishing season following a three-month ban.

But contrary to expectations, the catch is noticeably low.

[Choi Jeom-su / Anchovy Fishing Fleet Captain: "The catch itself has significantly decreased. There are no large schools of anchovies—they're scattered all over the place."]

Due to global warming, ocean temperatures are rising, causing anchovy populations to disappear.

This summer, sea surface temperatures along the southern coast are expected to be about 1°C higher than average—a serious concern for the region that produces 60% of Korea's anchovy supply.

[Choi Pil-jong / Head of Anchovy Fishermen's Cooperative: "The sea temperature is changing too rapidly and becoming too warm. The juvenile fish probably can't adapt to the sudden changes, which may be why the fish stocks are decreasing."]

The fishermen’s worries are reflected in the numbers.

Five years ago, over 17,000 tons of anchovies were auctioned off in the southern region. Last year, that number dropped to just 10,000 tons.

With supply down, the price per kilogram of anchovies—once around 4,700 won four years ago—has more than doubled.

As profitability declined, more than 80 fishing vessels have given up anchovy fishing over the past five years.

Although coastal fisheries are being hit hard by climate change, there are currently no effective countermeasures, leaving fishermen increasingly concerned about their future.

KBS News, Moon Geu-rin.