Every year from May 16 to June 30 is the 'Chammungeo Closed Season'

Amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Fisheries Resources Management Act Passed at Cabinet Meeting on the 3rd... Effective from Next Year

Establishment of 'Closed Season' Instead of 'Prohibited Weight'

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Joo Sang-don] Starting next year, the capture and harvesting of the common octopus will be prohibited for 46 days annually from May 16 to June 30. However, provincial governors may separately designate a closed season of at least 46 days within the spawning period of the common octopus, from May 1 to September 15, through official announcements.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced that the partial amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Fisheries Resources Management Act, which includes the establishment of a closed season to protect common octopus resources, passed the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, the 3rd. This will take effect from 2021.

The common octopus mainly inhabits the west and south coasts of Korea and is also called dolmun-eo or waemun-eo depending on the region. Its spawning season is from May to September, with the peak spawning period in June.

The production volume of the common octopus was over 10,000 tons until 2009 but sharply declined to about 6,800 tons in 2011 and recorded 6,122 tons in 2019, showing a decreasing trend. Recently, there has been an increase in cases where juvenile common octopuses caught and sold on the southern coast are indiscriminately distributed under the name "chongalmun-eo" on social media and online shopping malls, raising concerns about overharvesting of young individuals.

In response, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries has been promoting the establishment of regulations prohibiting the capture and harvesting of common octopus based on scientific evidence since 2018. After gathering opinions from stakeholders including the fishing industry, recreational fishing sector, and local governments, the ministry announced a legislative proposal last April to add a prohibited weight clause (300g) for the common octopus in the Enforcement Decree of the Fisheries Resources Management Act. However, following requests from fishermen for more effective regulatory measures, a 46-day closed season aligned with the common octopus spawning period was established instead of the prohibited weight.

The common octopus closed season will be implemented from next year along with 13 other species whose amendments were completed last September. From next year, a total of 44 species will have closed seasons and 42 species will have prohibited minimum size or weight regulations in effect.

Ko Song-ju, Director of Fisheries Resources Policy at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, said, "Through the establishment of the common octopus closed season, we have created an institutional measure to effectively protect spawning female common octopuses." He added, "We ask the public to strictly observe the closed season and actively participate by refraining from consuming juvenile common octopuses so that the population can increase again in our seas."

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