[News Today] OYSTER MASS DEATH UPROOTS FARMING

[LEAD]
Kimchi-making season, also known as Kimjang season is just around the corner. Now you might not be aware of this, but fresh oysters are one of the key ingredients South Koreans eat with Kimchi. Yet, as the harvest approaches, mass die-offs are happening at oyster farms along the southern coast of Gyeongsangnam-do Province. Mind you, this area is responsible for 80% of Korea's oyster production.

[REPORT]
An oyster farm on the south coast in Gyeongsangnam-do Province.

When a 7-meter rope is lifted from the water, an unpleasant odor spreads.

[Soundbytes]Doesn't it smell awful? (It smells rotten.)

Most of the lifted oysters are rotten and hollow.

The shells that are full are filled only with small oysters because they stopped growing too soon.

This is beyond frustrating for the oyster farmers.

Heo Tae-sam / Goseong-gun resident
I've never seen this in 55 years of oyster farming experience. I can't do it anymore.

The south coast has sustained enormous damage from unprecedented high water temperatures this summer. To make matters worse, oysters are now dying en masse.

The area of reported damage in Tongyeong, Goseong and Geoje surpasses 1,130ha so far.

That's 35% of the entire oyster farming area and the largest area thus far.

Unprecedented high water temperatures and oxygen-deficient water masses are believed to be the most likely causes.

Kim Woo-seok / Goseong oyster farming association
Authorities should collect samples to identify the cause, but they won't budge.

The problem could get worse next year.

Oyster production could plunge because oyster seeds collected last spring have either died en masse or are undergrown.

This means workers involved in fresh oyster processing and oyster farmers could all suffer damage.

Ha Gap-yi / Goseong-gun resident
We all make a living on oysters, even people who shuck them. But oysters are in bad condition now.

Oyster farmers, devastated by oysters' mass death, are urging authorities to investigate the root cause and the scope of damage.