Tuna travesty as massive bluefin haul off Korea's east coast
More than 1,300 giant bluefin tuna, each weighing over 100 kilograms (220 pounds), were caught off the coast of Yeongdeok County, North Gyeongsang, on Tuesday, only to be discarded due to fishing quota restrictions.
According to Yeongdeok County and the Ganggu branch of the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives, also known as Suhyup, the tuna were trapped in a stationary net installed in the waters off Ganggu-myeon early in the morning.
The fish measured between 1 and 1.5 meters (3.3 to 4.9 feet) in length and weighed between 130 and 150 kilograms. The net, located near the border between Yeongdeok and neighboring Pohang, is jointly owned by 13 fishermen ? four from Pohang and nine from Yeongdeok. Of the catch, 600 tuna were allocated to Pohang’s fishery cooperative and 700 to Yeongdeok’s.
Intended initially to catch squid and mackerel, the stationary net is believed to have ensnared the tuna when they entered the area to feed on mackerel and sardines.
On Sunday, another 70 bluefin tuna of similar size and weighing between 30 and 150 kilograms were caught in a nearby net off Samsa-ri in Ganggu-myeon. Those were sold at auction for 14,000 won ($10) per kilogram.
Bluefin tuna, a subtropical species, are known for their migratory behavior and typically inhabit temperate and tropical regions of the Pacific. However, due to rising sea temperatures caused by global warming, they have been appearing more frequently along Korea’s east coast ? and for longer stretches of the year. Once seen only in spring and summer off the southern coast in the late 1990s, they now appear off the east coast well into fall and winter. They are also growing in size.
Indeed, tuna catches off Korea’s east coast have surged in recent years, from just 3,372 tons in 2020 to 163,921 tons in 2024 ? a nearly fivefold increase.
Despite the bounty, all of the tuna caught on Monday were discarded for exceeding Korea’s annual bluefin tuna quota set by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries allocates quotas by region, and Yeongdeok had already surpassed its limit.
North Gyeongsang’s total quota for 2025 is 110 tons, with 35 tons allocated to Yeongdeok. Even with an additional allocation already granted, the county’s tuna haul had reached nearly 100 tons as of Tuesday. Under Korean law, exceeding fishing quotas can result in a prison term of up to two years or a fine of up to 20 million won.
“The quota has already been exhausted, and the fishermen brought in the catch unaware,” a Ganggu Suhyup official said. “Once the quota is exceeded, bluefin tuna caught in stationary nets must be released at sea. Even if we request an additional allocation immediately, approval takes time, and because tuna spoils quickly, the entire catch had to be discarded.”
This has led many fishermen to dump tuna back into the ocean or along shorelines. In July 2022, over 1,000 dead tuna were discovered on the beach near Jangsa Beach in Yeongdeok ? discarded by local fishermen for the same reason.
Fishermen are now calling for an increase in the regional quota, citing financial losses and environmental concerns from mass dumping.
“We plan to formally request an additional quota for bluefin tuna caught in stationary nets,” a Yeongdeok County official said. “Realistic adjustments to quota policy and effective measures for handling over-quota catches are urgently needed to support fishermen and protect the environment.”