The Shellfish and Mollusk Harvesting Culture 'Gaetbeol Fishing' to Become a Cultural Heritage

Holders and Holder Organizations Do Not Recognize... Support for Academic Research and Transmission Activation

The traditional fishing method known as 'Gaetbeol Eoro' has been designated as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage. The Cultural Heritage Administration announced on the 20th that it will decide on the designation after collecting opinions from various sectors for a month. However, since it is a culture inherited and enjoyed by fishermen throughout the West and South Sea coasts, no individual holders or holder groups were recognized. Plans are in place to support academic research and programs to revitalize transmission so that the public can share the value as intangible heritage and participate in its preservation.

'Gaetbeol Eoro' includes not only fishing techniques that use bare hands or hand tools to harvest shellfish and mollusks from tidal flats but also related traditional knowledge, organizational culture, rituals, and ceremonies. Tidal flats are treasure troves of seafood such as oysters, clams, octopuses, and shrimp. Fishermen have traditionally regarded them as fields of the sea and managed them as communal property. Even today, livelihoods are maintained centered around fishing villages. The methods involve using bare hands or hand tools. Different techniques are used depending on the tidal flat environment, including ocean currents, tides, and geology. For example, in muddy tidal flats, a flat boat called 'Ppeolbae' is used; in sandy tidal flats, tools like 'Geulge' (scraper), 'Sseogae' (shovel), and rakes are used; in mixed tidal flats, hoes, spades, and pitchforks are employed; and in pebble tidal flats, a tool called 'Josae' is used. The Cultural Heritage Administration explained, "Even the same tools have diversified in their usage methods regionally over many years of transmission."

Fishing methods vary by region even for the same shellfish or mollusks. For example, the Manila clam (Gamarak) is harvested either by hand or using a hoe. The former is effective in muddy tidal flats because it is easy to visually identify the breathing holes. In contrast, in sandy tidal flats, it is difficult to locate them by sight, so the hoe is used to tap the tidal flat bottom. The Manila clam, startled by the vibration, sprays water or opens its shell, revealing its location. The history of this practice is not well documented in literature. However, large quantities of oysters, ark shells, and clams have been found in shell middens from the Neolithic, Bronze, Iron, and Goryeo periods excavated along the West and South Sea coasts, suggesting a long history. Specific records can be found in 'Jasan Eobo' (Jasan Fish Records), written by the late Joseon Dynasty scholar Jeong Yak-jeon (丁若銓).

Gaetbeol Eoro has developed into various production rituals, beliefs, and games. A representative communal ritual is 'Gaetje,' a ceremony where residents personify clams or oysters and invite them to the tidal flats to pray for an abundant harvest. Other customs that well illustrate the tidal flat traditions and culture include 'Dokkaebi Bul Bogi' (watching goblin fire) to predict a bountiful catch and 'Deungpparu Nori,' a game played by villagers after harvesting oysters and clams. The fishing ground rituals held for a good catch and safe fishing operations are also indispensable. Fishermen believed that the sounds coming from holes in the tidal flats as the tide receded were caused by goblins walking through. They believed goblins governed fish activity in the tidal flats and held fishing ground rituals, offering buckwheat porridge or buckwheat jelly as sacrifices. This was based on the belief that goblins liked the smell of buckwheat.

Recently, tidal flats have been increasingly recognized for their ecological, social, and cultural value. The number of designations such as UNESCO Biosphere Reserves and Tidal Flat Provincial Parks is steadily increasing. In July, tidal flats in Seocheon, Gochang, Sinan, Boseong, and Suncheon were inscribed as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site (Korea's Tidal Flats). There is also a strong will to revitalize the transmission of Gaetbeol Eoro. Fishing communities autonomously set fishing moratoriums and release juvenile fish to sustain the tidal flats and Gaetbeol Eoro. It is emerging as a space where humans and nature mutually influence each other and coexist.

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