Governor Sanggeun Lee Visits Oyster and Scallop Farms Hit by Mass Mortality in Goseong County

Since First Observation in June This Year,
Low-Oxygen Water Masses Continue to Occur

Sanggeun Lee, Governor of Goseong County in South Gyeongsang Province, visited oyster and scallop farms that suffered mass mortality due to the occurrence of low-oxygen water masses (hypoxic water bodies).

Sanggeun Lee, Goseong County Governor, Visits Oyster and Scallop Farm Damaged by Disaster.

Low-oxygen water masses have continued to occur in the waters off South Gyeongsang Province since they were first observed in June this year. These water bodies have a dissolved oxygen concentration of 3mg/L or less, and mainly appear in semi-enclosed inner bays with poor seawater circulation, especially during the summer when there is a significant temperature difference between the surface and bottom layers.

When the surface water temperature rises and stratification (thermocline) forms, the surface and bottom waters do not mix well, cutting off the supply of oxygen from the surface to the bottom layer and causing damage to fisheries.

In Goseong County, mass mortalities at oyster and scallop farms have led to reports of damage at 51 locations, involving 91 fishing households and covering an area of 130 hectares. The estimated amount for natural disaster recovery is approximately 2.08 billion KRW (about 2.08 billion won). In accordance with the Act on Countermeasures against Agricultural and Fishery Disasters, Goseong County will organize a joint damage investigation team starting this week and conduct on-site damage assessments to ensure prompt restoration efforts.

On September 8, Governor Lee visited the Jaranman aquaculture site to inspect the damage and listen to the difficulties faced by affected fishers. He stated, "We will support fishers by promptly inspecting the damage sites and providing recovery funds as quickly as possible."

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