Why Are Fishermen Releasing 200kg 'Premium' Bluefin Tuna Back Into the Sea?

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Bluefin tuna, a popular choice for high-end sashimi, are being caught in large numbers off the east coast recently. Despite many of them weighing over 200kg, fishermen are releasing them back into the ocean.

Reporter Jo Jaegeun explains why.

[Reporter]

Fish have been caught in nets off the coast of Goseong, Gangwon Province.

Among the schools of mackerel and sardines, a massive fish can be seen—a bluefin tuna weighing over 200kg.

Recently, bluefin tuna have been frequently appearing in set nets along the east coast.

Until just a few days ago, they were sold at auction, but now they are being released back into the sea as soon as they are caught.

This is because the catch quota has been exceeded.

While some are released alive, others die from stress and end up being discarded.

[Han Hyung-gu / Captain of the set-net vessel Gado-ho: "To release them alive, we have to herd the fish to one side and cut the net. But if we cut the net, it’s difficult for us to repair it, and the other fish we intended to catch end up escaping through the hole, so it’s nearly impossible."]

The catch limit for bluefin tuna is determined every two years by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), an international organization. South Korea was allocated 1,219 tons for this year.

This quota is distributed by region and vessel, but because so many bluefin tuna have been caught this year, most of the quota has already been exhausted.

[Hong Sung-il / Sales Manager, Gangneung Fisheries Cooperative: "Compared to last year, our allocated quota increased by about 33 tons—roughly three times more—but we have exhausted the quota about one to two months earlier than before."]

Rising sea temperatures are cited as the reason for the increase in bluefin tuna.

Last summer, bluefin tuna larvae, measuring 4 to 5mm in length, were discovered for the first time in Goseong, Gangwon Province. Since 2021, bluefin tuna eggs and juveniles have also been found near Dokdo and Ulleungdo.

[Kim Maeng-jin / Researcher, East Sea Fisheries Research Institute, National Institute of Fisheries Science: "The appearance of bluefin tuna eggs, larvae, and juveniles is significant ecological evidence that the East Sea is being used as a spawning and nursing ground for bluefin tuna."]

Long-term measures are needed to ensure that these bluefin tuna, which are caught with such effort, can be utilized as a valuable resource.

(Video coverage: Kim Dae-cheol | Footage provided by: Han Hyung-gu, Kim Hyuk-soo)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.