Gyeonggi Special Judicial Police Conduct Intensive Crackdown on Illegal Fishing Activities Including Unauthorized Fish Farms

The Gyeonggi-do Special Judicial Police Unit will intensively crack down on illegal activities related to unauthorized fish farms and gill nets.

Gyeonggi Province will conduct intensive crackdowns on illegal fishing activities, including unauthorized fish farms.

The Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police announced on the 7th that from the 14th to the 28th of this month, they will carry out focused inspections on unauthorized fish farms and geonganmang (a fishing method involving stakes driven into the shore with nets surrounding them) fishing activities along the West Coast areas such as Ansan, Siheung, Hwaseong, and Gimpo.

The main crackdown targets include ▲ operating aquaculture without permission or license ▲ geonganmang fishing by driving stakes into tidal flats and setting nets without authorization ▲ violating mesh size regulations or storing/loading fishing gear other than those licensed for fishing ▲ capturing fish such as blue crabs during the current closed season.

According to the current "Aquaculture Industry Development Act," operating aquaculture without permission or license can result in imprisonment for up to 3 years or a fine of up to 30 million KRW.

Additionally, under the "Fisheries Act," unauthorized geonganmang fishing is punishable by imprisonment for up to 3 years or a fine of up to 30 million KRW, and using nets with mesh sizes smaller than the standard can result in a fine of up to 10 million KRW.

Furthermore, according to the "Fisheries Resources Management Act," storing or loading fishing gear not listed on the fishing license can lead to a fine of up to 10 million KRW, and capturing fish during the closed season can result in imprisonment for up to 2 years or a fine of up to 20 million KRW.

Hong Eun-gi, head of the Special Judicial Police of Gyeonggi Province, stated, "We will strictly respond to illegal fish farms and illegal fishing through this investigation," and added, "We will do our best to protect the fishing environment of Gyeonggi Province."

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