No Catching of Spanish Mackerel, Black Porgy, and Common Octopus Allowed During May

Spanish mackerel (top), common octopus (bottom) [Photo by Asia Economy DB]

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Haeyoung] The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced on the 30th that a fishing ban period will be applied to the common octopus, Spanish mackerel, and black porgy starting next month.

The common octopus has been experiencing increased early mortality rates of juvenile octopuses due to high summer water temperatures, and coastal spawning grounds have been damaged, leading to a continuous decline in catch volume. The catch volume of common octopus, which was 10,300 tons in 2009, decreased to 5,100 tons last year, less than half of that. Accordingly, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries designated a fishing ban period from May 16 to June 30, which corresponds to the spawning season, during which catching common octopus is prohibited.

Since the spawning season of the common octopus varies slightly by region, fishing ban periods of at least 46 days can be separately designated by region until September 15. In Gyeongnam, the fishing ban period for common octopus is set from May 24 to July 8.

The Spanish mackerel catch volume also decreased by 8.6%, from 35,000 tons in 2016 to 32,000 tons last year, and the entire month of May, which is its spawning season, has been designated as the fishing ban period.

The black porgy is also subject to a fishing ban during the month of May. Due to rampant illegal fishing during its spawning season, both anglers and fishermen have demanded the establishment of a fishing ban period.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries plans to actively inform not only fishermen but also anglers and leisure sports enthusiasts who enjoy mudflat clam digging about the fishing ban period and policies to protect juvenile fish in accordance with the implementation of the fishing ban.

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