Emergency Off Yeosu Coast... 2.98 Million Red Sea Bream Die Due to Low Water Temperature

Water Temperature 4 Degrees Lower Than Average... Mass Fish Deaths
70 Fish Farms Suffer 8 Billion KRW in Damages... Fishermen Call for Countermeasures

Mass deaths of farmed fish due to low water temperatures continue off the coast of Yeosu, Jeonnam. The damages have snowballed, reaching as much as 8 billion KRW.

Mass death at Yeosu fish farm. Yonhap News

According to Yeosu City and other sources on the 1st, reports of fish deaths, including red sea bream, continue to come in from fish farms in the Gamakman area, where a low-temperature advisory has been in effect since the 10th. The water temperature in this area, which is usually around 8 degrees Celsius, has recently dropped to 4 degrees. In particular, red sea bream, which is vulnerable to the cold with a threshold temperature of 6 degrees, has been most affected. As of this day, approximately 2,982,000 fish have been reported dead at 70 farms.

Yeosu City has requested a cause analysis from the South Sea Fisheries Research Institute and plans to conduct a joint investigation as early as next week. In addition, to prevent further damage from low temperatures, the city is encouraging early shipment of vulnerable fish species and strengthening on-site guidance, inspections of fish farms, and education on fishery management practices.

On this day, Yeosu Mayor Jung Kimyung visited a fish farm in Hwataeri, Nam-myeon, to inspect the damage together with fishermen and village leaders. Mayor Jung stated, "We will quickly complete the damage assessment and establish a recovery plan to ensure prompt support."

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