Chungnam, Special Crackdown on Illegal Glass Eel Fishing from February to April

[Asia Economy (Hongseong) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] Chungnam Province will conduct a special crackdown on illegal fishing of glass eels from the 15th of this month to April 30th.

According to the province on the 14th, only those who have obtained fishing permits in accordance with relevant laws such as the Fisheries Act and the Inland Fisheries Act can engage in fishing activities within designated sections to catch glass eels for aquaculture farms.

However, due to the high profits from catching glass eels, unauthorized fishing and illegal fishing activities that deviate from permitted areas frequently occur along the west coast, including estuarine areas such as the Geumgang Estuary, Ganwolho Lake, Bunamho Lake, and Sapgyocheon Stream.

Accordingly, the province will conduct a special crackdown in cooperation with city and county governments, the West Sea Fisheries Management Team of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, and the Coast Guard to prevent depletion of glass eel resources caused by illegal fishing and to protect licensed fishermen within the province.

The main crackdown areas include all estuarine regions within the province such as the Geumgang Estuary and Sapgyocheon Stream, as well as the entire west coast.

The targets of the crackdown are unauthorized fishing, fishing outside permitted areas, violations of fishing gear type and size regulations, and failure to mark fishing gear with real names.

Meanwhile, the eel species spawns in the deep Pacific Ocean about 3,000 km away from Korea (at depths of around 300 meters) and hatches as leptocephalus (a larval form shaped like a willow leaf).

The leptocephalus undergoes a growth process of about six months and then ascends Korean rivers in the form of glass eels, exhibiting a unique ecological characteristic.

Because artificial seed production and aquaculture are very difficult, the province explains that cracking down on illegal activities to protect resources is of utmost importance.

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