"Over Half Will Die in 2–3 Days"… '150,000 Fish' Released into the Sea

[Anchor]

High water temperature advisories and warnings have been expanded across all coastal waters in South Gyeongsang Province's southern coast. To prevent mass mortality at fish farms, emergency fish releases have begun in South Gyeongsang Province for the first time this year.

This report is by Choi Hyuk-gyu from KNN.

[Reporter]

Rockfish raised with care since early this year are hauled to the surface in nets.

After being scooped with a net and weighed, they are released directly outside the fish farm.

This is the first emergency release conducted in South Gyeongsang Province this year to prevent deaths caused by high water temperatures.

Fish released this way are compensated at 90 percent of their standard price, resulting in less financial loss for fishermen compared to a 50 percent compensation for dead fish.

Fearing mass mortality of rockfish, which are vulnerable to high water temperatures, fishermen began the group release before the damage could spread.

About 154,000 juvenile rockfish and flathead mullet from fish farms were returned to the sea.

Because they are released into nature, their survival rate is not tracked, but it is estimated that more will survive than if they were kept confined.

[Fish Farmer: (If things stay like this) more than half of them will die within two to three days. Mortalities are already occurring in the current state.]

Already, some 50,000 fish across 15 fishery households have died in Namhae and Hadong.

As even the cold water masses dissipated last week, high water temperature advisories were expanded to the waters of Tongyeong and Geoje.

Warnings have been issued for Sacheon Bay, Gangjin Bay, and Jinhae Bay, with advisories issued for all other coastal waters of South Gyeongsang Province.

As a result, emergency releases are expected to continue in Tongyeong, Geoje, and Goseong.

[Choi Sang-jun / Head of Aquaculture Team, Namhae County: (Last year) due to high water temperatures and red tide damage, more than 80 percent of the large fish died. (This year) we are doing our utmost and choosing emergency releases to prevent damage.]

Currently, about 120 fish farms in South Gyeongsang Province wish to carry out emergency releases, and the scale of the releases is expected to grow rapidly depending on high water temperature conditions.

(Video Shooting: Jeong Chang-wook / KNN)

Choi Hyuk-gyu, KNN
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.