Incheon Coast Guard Uncovers 13 Suspects for Manufacturing and Selling Illegal Haerujil Fishing Gear

The Incheon Coast Guard Station announced on June 20 that it has booked without detention 13 individuals, including A, a man in his 40s who is the head of a distribution company, and B, a man in his 30s who is the head of a manufacturing company, on charges of manufacturing and selling illegal fishing gear used for haerujil (in violation of the Fisheries Resources Management Act, among others).

In order to block the distribution of illegal fishing gear for haerujil, the Coast Guard has also conducted intensive crackdowns since May, seizing approximately 6,400 pieces of illegal gear, including steel sinker-type blue crab traps and fishing spear guns, with a market value of about 135 million won.

Seized illegal fishing gear. Incheon Coast Guard Station

A is suspected of earning 25 million won in profit by commissioning the production of illegal steel sinker-type blue crab traps in China and importing them into Korea from 2022 until May of this year. B is suspected of earning 4.2 million won in profit by selling about 290 wire-type blue crab traps from 2020 until May of this year.

According to the Fisheries Resources Management Act, anyone who manufactures, stores, or sells prohibited fishing gear may be fined up to 10 million won.

An official from the Incheon Coast Guard Station stated, "Recently, there have been a series of incidents in which people have become stranded by the incoming tide while engaging in haerujil on mudflats and beaches along the west coast, including Incheon." The official added, "Since illegal fishing gear can be used to capture large quantities of marine products, there is a risk of missing the tide and facing dangerous situations."

The official continued, "Catching marine products using illegal fishing gear destroys the marine ecosystem, and if non-fishermen use such gear, it can escalate conflicts with fishermen. We will continue to carry out crackdowns."

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