Opening of Safety Inspection Center at Incheon Coastal Wharf for Metropolitan Area Seafood Distribution Channels

Incheon, the hub city for seafood supply in the metropolitan area, is strengthening safety inspections to completely block the distribution of non-compliant seafood.

On the 3rd, Incheon City opened an on-site seafood inspection center at the coastal pier Incheon International Seafood Town, a major distribution route for seafood. The establishment of the inspection center is a measure taken in response to a cooperation request from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.

The inspection center will identify non-compliant seafood through rapid testing for veterinary drugs (antibiotics) and immediately block its distribution. Currently, farmed seafood accounts for more than 62% of domestically distributed seafood, and the use of antibiotics in farmed seafood is increasing every year due to rising water temperatures.

Additionally, the inspection center plans to establish a monitoring system for harmful substances, including radiation, to proactively address seafood safety issues and prevent a decline in seafood consumption sentiment caused by vague anxieties.

To this end, the inspection center plans to expand its own sample collection and, in cooperation with Incheon City and district offices, conduct 600 seafood radiation tests by December (a 210% increase compared to 285 tests last year). Next year, the seafood inspection target area will be expanded to cover the entire Incheon fish market.

Coastal Wharf Seafood On-site Inspection Center
[Photo by Incheon City]

Yeonan Pier, where the Incheon General Fish Market and the live fish wholesale market are located, is the seafood supply hub of the metropolitan area, distributing 35% of live fish nationwide. The city expects that, unlike retail-level inspections, inspections at Yeonan Pier, where wholesale-level inspections are possible, will allow for easier identification of producers and rapid blocking of non-compliant seafood distribution.

Kwon Moon-ju, director of the Incheon Health and Environment Research Institute, said, "As the hub city for seafood supply in the metropolitan area, we will strive to ensure that safe seafood is distributed through proactive management."

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