[Anchor]

Meanwhile, South Gyeongsang Province has begun its first emergency release of farmed fish into the sea this year. This is to prevent mass die-offs of fish caused by sudden surges in water temperature.

KNN reporter Choi Hyuk-gyu has the story.

[Reporter]

Rockfish, raised with great care since early this year, are pulled to the surface in nets.

After weighing them with landing nets, they are released right outside the fish farm.

This is the first emergency release carried out in South Gyeongsang Province this year to prevent mass die-offs from high water temperatures.

Releasing the fish provides compensation equal to 90 percent of the standard price, resulting in less financial loss for fishermen compared to compensation of only 50 percent for dead fish.

Fearing mass die-offs of rockfish, which are vulnerable to high water temperatures, fishermen opted for a mass release before damages could spread further.

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

While the survival rate cannot be tracked since they are released into nature, it is estimated that far more will survive than if they had remained confined.

[Fish Farmer: (At this rate) more than half of them will die off within two to three days. Die-offs are actually already occurring in the current condition.]

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

With even the cold water masses dissipating last week, high water temperature advisories have been expanded to the waters off Tongyeong and Geoje.

Warnings have been issued for Sacheon Bay, Gangjin Bay, and Jinhae Bay, while advisories remain in effect for all other coastal areas 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) more than 80 percent of large fish died due to high water temperatures and red tide damages. (This year) we are choosing emergency releases as our best effort 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 the progression of the high water temperatures.

(Video by: Jung Chang-wook / KNN)

Choi Hyuk-gyu, KNN