Mass Sardine Die-Off Nightmare Repeats... Fish Deaths in Changwon Masan Bay

In the sea near Masanhappo-gu, Changwon Special City, Gyeongnam, where a mass sardine die-off occurred last year, schools of fish are once again gathering and dying.

On the 11th, from the Kim Juyul Martyr Memorial Park to the Masan Marine Nuri Park area, schools of fish surfaced to breathe.

Dead fish began to accumulate on the seabed, and occasionally, carcasses with white bellies flipped over and floating were seen.

A school of fish is gathering and dying in the sea near Masanhaeyang Nuri Park, Masanhappo-gu, Changwon Special City, Gyeongnam.
Photo by Se-ryeong Lee

Citizens walking in Marine Nuri Park expressed sorrow, saying, "They died like this last year too," and "It's so pitiful."

Some citizens also said, "Shouldn't we open the waterway a bit more so they can breathe?" and "The stench must be terrible, so it will be hard to come out for a walk for a while."

Dead fish floated in the sea near Masanhaeyang Nuri Park, Masanhappo-gu, Changwon Special City, Gyeongnam.
[Photo by Lee Seryeong]

Changwon City plans to conduct on-site investigations to assess the situation while focusing on collecting carcasses and preventing sea pollution.

Kim Seonmin, head of Masanhappo-gu Office, said, "Currently, most of the carcasses have sunk, making collection difficult. Once the dead fish float to the surface tomorrow, we plan to collect all the carcasses," adding, "We will focus on alleviating citizen discomfort such as odor prevention in our response."

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