Gwangyang Seomjingang Jaecheop Registered as a UN Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System

Registration of Seomjingang Estuary Jaecheop Hand-net Fishing and Other Methods

Gwangyang City, Jeollanam-do (Mayor Jeong In-hwa) announced that the "Gwangyang-Hadong Seomjin River Jaecheop Hand-frame Fishery" was registered as the world's first Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) No. 1 in the fisheries sector of Korea at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization's GIAHS expert group meeting on the 10th.

The Gwangyang-Hadong Seomjin River Jaecheop fishery was designated as National Important Fishery Heritage No. 7 in 2018, and after its originality was recognized, the city applied for GIAHS registration in January 2020.

From April 30 to May 2, the GIAHS expert group inspection team visited and confirmed the enthusiastic response of Seomjin River residents and the active will of administrative agencies.

[Photo by Gwangyang-si]

The Seomjin River Jaecheop hand-frame fishery is recognized as a fishery system with globally important values such as food and livelihood stability, biodiversity, regional and traditional knowledge systems, cultural value systems and social organization, and characteristics of terrestrial and marine landscapes, successfully achieving registration as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System.

The Jaecheop hand-frame fishery in the brackish water area (where river water and seawater mix) of the Seomjin River estuary involves people directly entering the river and scraping the riverbed with a tool called a ‘georaengi’ to harvest Jaecheop clams.

It has high historicity and rarity as a unique fishery knowledge system devised through the long experience of residents and as the only traditional fishery method among various traditional fishing methods of the Seomjin River that has been passed down.

Moreover, the repetitive harvesting process using the georaengi helps maintain the aquatic ecosystem cycle and biodiversity of the Seomjin River, making it an eco-friendly fishery method that keeps the estuarine ecosystem healthy.

The Seomjin River holds important locational value as it serves as a habitat protection area for various brackish water species including Jaecheop and as a foundation for the succession of traditional inland fisheries, making it a fishery resource of significant value not only in Korea but also globally.

The city plans to actively expand conservation management activities such as improving water quality of the Seomjin River basin, preventing salt damage and Jaecheop mortality, expanding Jaecheop habitats, and preventing overfishing through appropriate catch volume estimation to maintain the clean estuarine ecosystem of the Seomjin River and ensure the continuous transmission of traditional fishery methods by local residents and ecosystem preservation.

Mayor Jeong In-hwa of Gwangyang said, “We welcome the registration as the first Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System in the fisheries sector of Korea,” and added, “This registration will serve as an opportunity for harmonious development and mutual unity of residents between Yeongnam and Honam regions, and we will work with Hadong County to promote the global branding of Seomjin River Jaecheop.”

Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seon-sik hss79@asiae.co.kr

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