‘Eco-friendly and Non-toxic’ Fishing Lures? ... CEO of Major Fishing Gear Manufacturer Who Caught Anglers Sent to Prosecution

Distribution and Sales Nationwide Worth 828 Million Won

Fishing sinker products distributed to fishing tackle stores nationwide. [Image source: Sacheon Coast Guard, Gyeongnam]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] The CEO of a major domestic fishing gear manufacturer, who distributed fishing sinkers nationwide with false advertisements claiming them to be "eco-friendly and non-toxic," was caught by the Coast Guard.

According to the Sacheon Maritime Police Station in Gyeongnam on the 5th, the company CEO, Mr. A, used terms related to environmental performance such as "eco-friendly" and "non-toxic" without specific evidence like environmental label certification or demonstration data while manufacturing fishing sinkers.

Some products even used marks similar to legally mandated certification marks, misleading consumers into believing they were eco-friendly products with actual environmental improvement effects, despite having none.

The number of fishing sinkers falsely labeled and advertised by Mr. A was approximately 351,000 units, of which about 326,000 units worth 828 million KRW were distributed and sold nationwide.

The Sacheon Coast Guard stated that Mr. A was sent to the prosecution in December last year and that they requested the Ministry of Environment to impose fines based on the sales amount.

A Coast Guard official said, "As the preference for eco-friendly products has recently increased, so-called greenwashing, which falsely promotes an eco-friendly corporate image without basis, is on the rise. We believe there are more cases of unfair labeling and advertising like this incident, and to protect public rights, we plan to strengthen crackdowns in cooperation with related organizations such as the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute."

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