Uljin and Ulleung Regions 'Dolmiyeok Ttebae Harvesting Fishery'... Gyeongbuk Province to Pursue Registration as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage

The scene of stone seaweed harvesting by traditional fishing boats in the Uljin and Ulleung areas of Gyeongbuk.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Koo Dae-seon] Gyeongbuk Province announced on the 20th that it will designate seaweed culture, including the traditional customs of cleaning seaweed rocks and seaweed soup along the East Coast, as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage. Additionally, it plans to register the Uljin-Ulleung stone seaweed raft harvesting fishery, a National Important Fishery Heritage, as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System.

Coastal seaweed rock cleaning is a practice that increases the production of wild seaweed by removing mussels, barnacles, and other organisms attached to the rocks, allowing seaweed spores to easily take root. This tradition has been passed down for a long time along the East Coast.

Gyeongbuk Province is the largest producer of wild seaweed nationwide, accounting for 66% of the total production, and plays a very important role compared to other provinces. In March last year, the Uljin-Ulleung stone seaweed raft harvesting fishery was designated as the 9th National Important Fishery Heritage by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, marking the first such designation on the East Coast.

The Uljin-Ulleung stone seaweed raft harvesting fishery, designated as a National Important Fishery Heritage, has received a total project budget of 700 million KRW from 2021 to 2023 to promote the preservation and maintenance of traditional fishing culture, as well as publicity, marketing, and brand development.

To promote the National Important Fishery Heritage, Gyeongbuk Province will hold unveiling ceremonies for village signboards preserving the Uljin-Ulleung stone seaweed raft harvesting fishery, designated as a National Important Fishery Heritage, on the 20th in Uljin and on the 23rd in Ulleung (Hyeonpo, Cheonbu, Jukam).

The marine areas surrounding the villages designated as National Important Fishery Heritage sites are marine protected areas managed by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, recognized for their significant value in marine ecosystems and landscapes. Various policies are being implemented to conserve and manage these areas.

Kim Nam-il, Head of the East Sea Region Headquarters of Gyeongbuk Province, stated, “Gyeongbuk plans to leverage its advantage as the largest producer of wild seaweed to become a treasure trove of the seaweed industry through various projects. We will do our best to continuously preserve and industrialize the tradition of wild seaweed along the East Coast of Gyeongbuk in the future.”

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