Abalone consumption declines, plummeting prices and mass deaths…Fermen sigh

The abalone aquaculture industry is taking a direct hit due to a decrease in consumption due to the overall economic downturn and the discharge of contaminated water from Japan following the coronavirus.

The seawater temperature is high and mass deaths are continuing, and

fishermen are sighing, saying there is no more bottom to fall to.

Reporter Kim Beom-hwan visited the devastated abalone farm.

[Reporter]
This is a cage fish farm, the home of abalone fishermen.

When the fish farm frame is lifted, abalone falls out.

They are all dead.

Fortunately, the abalone attached to the house is not in good condition.

This is a fish farm that has been raising young abalone for three years.

In this fish farm, the mortality rate exceeds 80%.

The situation is the same at a nearby two-year-old fish farm, which

is believed to be due to the high seawater temperature of over 27 degrees.

[Kwak Sang-un / Fishing village manager, Sadong-ri, Geumil-eup, Wando-gun: When the water temperature is above 25 degrees, abalone begin to die, but the death of abalone does not occur instantly, but continues until fall, so the bigger problem is that the death you see now is not the end. ]

This abalone would not have died if it had already been sold in the spring.

[Han Myeong-geun / Head of the fishing village in Dojang-ri, Geumil-eup, Wando-gun: We are in a situation where we are not even able to pay for the spat when we ship the spat. I went home with a really big dream, but the reality is so miserable.]

Now we have no choice but to seriously consider whether to bring in new abalone spat.

[Lim Gu-hyeon / Abalone fishermen: In reality, it must be said that abalone fisheries have been almost devastated. Even if we produce the abalone itself, it must be shipped on time to prepare for next year, but now it is not shipped on time… .]

As consumption decreases and prices fall by nearly half compared to last year, the distribution industry is also experiencing difficulties.

[Park Gyeong-nam / Cheonji Abalone CEO: It’s a mess, prices have plummeted so much that the abalone market has collapsed. I thought this was the bottom, but I’m afraid it might안전놀이터 go even further.]

Additionally, fishermen’s anxiety is growing due to the discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima, Japan.

[Seo Gwang-jae / President of Wando Geumil Fisheries Cooperative: As it is directly related to the livelihood of our fishermen, the damage suffered by fishermen due to the discharge of contaminated water, along with the rapidly decreasing consumption of fishery products, is truly direct and enormous.] The food such as kelp is good, and elvan rock is spread

. Wando abalone, which is considered the best place for abalone farming, accounts for 80% of the national production, and

the sea, which should be overflowing with laughter ahead of the special demand for the national holiday Chuseok, is only filled with the sighs of fishermen.

This is Kim Beom-hwan of YTN .