Wando Coast Guard 'Detects' Anchovy Fishing Vessel Illegally Dumping Marine Waste

An illegal dumping scene of dead fish into the sea. Photo by Wando Coast Guard

[Wando=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Kyung-pil] The Wando Coast Guard announced on the 16th that it is investigating an anchovy fishing vessel that illegally dumped dead fish into the sea at Wando Port.

On the 11th around noon, the Wando Coast Guard received a tip from a resident that fishing vessel A, registered in Yeosu, illegally dumped dead fish into the sea while organizing nets in the front harbor near the Seaweed Expo venue in Wando-eup. Subsequently, the Coast Guard located the vessel operating in the open sea and confirmed the illegal dumping with the captain, conducting a swift investigation.

Park Je-su, Chief of the Wando Coast Guard, stated, “If the clean waters of Wando, renowned nationwide for their pristine marine environment, become polluted by waste dumping from ships, it would threaten not only marine resources but also tourism resources. With this urgent concern, we held an emergency meeting and issued special orders to strictly punish vessels involved in illegal dumping.”

A resident, Mr. A, who reported the incident, said, “I was shocked by the brazenness and shamelessness of the anchovy fishing boat dumping a large amount of rotten fish into the sea in broad daylight, despite many residents watching and taking photos.” He added, “I hope the investigation is thorough and severe punishment is imposed.”

The Wando Coast Guard plans to continue monitoring and issue warning messages to anchovy vessels operating in nearby waters to prevent recurrence of such illegal dumping.

Meanwhile, under the Marine Environment Management Act, those caught dumping dead fish (waste) face imprisonment of up to three years or a fine of up to 30 million won.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.