Chungnam Special Crackdown on Illegal Fishing Activities Including Use of 'Semokmang'

Chungnam Province announced on the 4th that it will conduct special crackdowns on illegal fishing activities, including the use of fine-mesh nets, this month.

The crackdown will be carried out jointly by Chungnam Province, city and county authorities, the West Sea Fisheries Management Team, and the Coast Guard during daytime, nighttime, and early morning hours.

The main targets of the crackdown are the use of fine-mesh nets, violations of fishing ban periods, and fishing outside permitted areas.

The crackdown zones include the main fishing areas for purse seine and anchored net fisheries, such as Gyeongryeolbiyeoldo, Oeyeondo, and Cheonsuman along the West Coast.

The fine-mesh nets included among the primary targets are nets used in purse seine and anchored net fisheries to catch small fish like anchovies.

However, these nets indiscriminately catch not only allowed species but also juveniles and immature fish of other species, which is identified as a cause of depletion of marine resources.

Jang Min-gyu, Director of Fisheries Resources at Chungnam Province, said, “The use of fine-mesh nets leads to overharvesting of young fish, causing a decline in coastal marine resources. We will strongly respond to illegal fishing activities through joint crackdowns.”

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