Gang Apprehended for Illegal Catching and Distribution of Undersized Blue Crabs

A Mokpo Coast Guard official conducting a search and seizure operation on companies that distributed undersized blue crabs. Photo by Mokpo Coast Guard

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A large number of fishing boat captains and business operators have been apprehended by the Coast Guard for illegally catching and distributing undersized blue crabs.

According to the Mokpo Coast Guard on May 29, the Coast Guard has booked a total of seven individuals, including Captain A of a catch transport vessel and seafood distributor B, for violating the Fisheries Resources Management Act. They are under investigation for systematically distributing and selling undersized blue crabs in the Seomang Port area of Jindo County, South Jeolla Province.

They are accused of catching blue crabs below the minimum legal size on fishing boats, transferring them to transport vessels, and then engaging in illegal transactions through brokers without going through the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives auction houses. It was also revealed that they stored and distributed the crabs separately in cold storage owned by the distribution company.

Under the current Fisheries Resources Management Act, it is strictly prohibited to catch, possess, distribute, store, or sell blue crabs with a carapace length of 6.4 centimeters or less in order to protect and preserve fishery resources. Violators can face up to two years in prison or a fine of up to 20 million won.

Before and after apprehending the suspects, the Coast Guard conducted simultaneous search and seizure operations at a total of eight locations, including catch transport vessels and seafood distribution companies. Through these operations, they secured a large amount of evidence, including approximately four tons (worth about 40 million won) of undersized blue crabs and transaction ledgers, which could substantiate the charges.

The Coast Guard estimates that the illicit profits obtained through this illegal distribution amount to several hundred million won.

A Mokpo Coast Guard official stated, "We plan to clarify the exact circumstances using the materials secured during the search and seizure, and to expand the investigation to uncover the full scope of the catching, distribution, and sales network involving the transport vessel captains and distributors."

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