Warmed Waters Put Southern Coast Fish Farms on High Alert as Fishermen Fear Repeat Losses

[Anchor]

As scorching heatwaves blanket the southern regions, seawater temperatures are rising rapidly, putting fish farms along the southern coast on high alert. Fish farmers, who suffered massive die-offs due to high water temperatures last year, are growing increasingly anxious that the same disaster might repeat itself.

KNN reporter Choi Hyuk-gyu has the story.

[Reporter]

This is a fish farm in Tongyeong, Gyeongsangnam-do, where a high water temperature advisory has been issued.

Having suffered severe losses from high water temperatures last year, fish farmers cannot lower their guard this year either.

Although there has been no major damage yet, they remain on edge, never knowing when water temperatures might spike abruptly.

Shading nets to block the intense heat have now become essential facilities at the farms.

Recently, the effects of high water temperatures have begun to show gradually, with continued deaths of 40 to 50 fish per day.

[Jung Doo-jin / Fish Farmer: As the heatwave and high water temperatures persist longer, only a fraction of the fish can survive. It will bring massive losses to us fishermen.]

As heatwaves continue across the southern coast, the number of marine areas exceeding 28°C (82°F), the threshold for high water temperatures, is steadily increasing.

A high water temperature crisis alert of "Attention" is currently in effect for most coastal waters along the southern coast.

Damage presumed to be caused by high water temperatures has also begun, including the mass mortality of 5,000 flathead mullets at a fish farm in Hadong, Gyeongsangnam-do, over the past weekend.

[Kim Seung-cheon / Head of Fishery Promotion Division, Tongyeong City: We are making all-out efforts to prevent damage from high water temperatures, and our city also plans to carry out emergency releases of farmed fish if high water temperatures become severe.]

The National Institute of Fisheries Science projected that high water temperatures could persist for more than two months this year as well, noting that the period ahead will be the critical turning point.

[Park Tae-gyu / Researcher, National Institute of Fisheries Science: Due to the heat dome phenomenon over the Korean Peninsula and record-breaking heatwaves, water temperatures are expected to continue rising for the time being.]

With heatwaves forecasted to continue for some time, Gyeongsangnam-do plans to continue monitoring fish farms and supporting response equipment until high water temperature special advisories are lifted.

(Video by: Jung Chang-wook / KNN)

Choi Hyuk-gyu, KNN

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