[Editor's Pick] "Up 56% in a Week": Soaring Seafood Prices Shake Up Dining Tables Nationwide

[Anchor]

It seems like everything is getting more expensive these days, but a jump like this in just one week is truly significant, isn't it?

[Reporter]

That is correct. It is not just king crab, which was already expensive, but prices for flatfish and hairtail have also risen.

Consequently, the prices of sashimi and grilled fish dishes are becoming unstable.

Recently at the Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market, the price of king crab surged by more than 56% in just one week, while prices for hairtail, snow crab, and octopus also rose by over 20%.

Natural flatfish, a popular choice for sashimi, saw a price increase of over 30%, and prices for sea bass and red sea bream are also on an upward trend.

The most concerning item is squid.

Last month, the squid catch amounted to only 9 tons.

This is a decrease of nearly 77% compared to the same period last year.

Industry insiders explain that fishing conditions have worsened due to climate change, and with the prolonged conflict in the Middle East, the burden of fuel costs has increased, leading more fishermen to give up on operations.

This supply instability is also affecting the restaurant industry.

One restaurant specializing in hagfish in Seoul, facing supply disruptions, switched from imported to domestic hagfish from Busan and raised its price from 15,000 won to 19,000 won.

The problem lies in what is to come.

The National Institute of Fisheries Science has forecasted that the water temperature in our seas this summer will be more than 1°C (34°F) higher than average.

If water temperatures rise, damage to fish farms could increase, which could ultimately put further pressure on seafood prices.

The government plans to stabilize prices by releasing 8,000 tons of stockpiled seafood and supplying it at prices 30–40% lower than the market rate.

Reported by Han Ji-yeon | Written by Kim Da-yeon | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.