Characteristics of Korean Coastal Fisheries

In this study, the status of coastal fisheries was examined based on the catch and number of fishing vessels of coastal fisheries in Korea. Comparing the status on coastal fisheries of the East Sea, Yellow Sea and South Sea in Korea, scientific evidence was made for fisheries management on coastal fisheries based on characteristics of each sea area. From 1990 to 2011, the catch of coastal fisheries in Korean waters ranged from 150,000 mt to 230,000 mt, with an average of 190,000 mt, and it accounted for 15% in average of total catch fished in adjacent waters of Korea. In order of catch by coastal fisheries, gillnet (36.7%) was the primary fishery, followed by coastal complex (24.7%), stow net (18.3%), trap (12.9%), lift net (3.9%), purse seine (3.0%) and beam trawl (0.4%) fisheries. In order of catch by species, anchovy (15.0%) had the largest proportion of total catch, followed by common squid (10.3%), akiami paste shrimp (5.2%), blue crab (3.9%) and octopus (3.7%). Of the average catch by sea area from 1990 to 2011, Yellow Sea, South Sea and East Sea were 37.4%, 34.6% and 28.0%, respectively. Since 2000s, however, the average catch of South Sea has accounted for the largest proportion. The number of permitted fishing vessels involved in 8 coastal fisheries was 55,336 vessels in average from 1997 to 2011. The number of vessels was about 47,000 vessels in 1997, and increased to 61,300 vessels until 2000, then has decreased to 44,000 vessels operating in 2011. In order of the number of permitted fishing vessels by fisheries, complex (52.4%) took the first place, followed by gillnet (31.5%), trap (13.4%), stow net (0.8%), beam trawl (0.8%), purse seine (0.6%), lift net (0.4%) and seine net (0.0%). In order of the number of permitted fishing vessels by sea area, South Sea (29,994 vessels) took the first place, followed by Yellow Sea (18,185 vessels) and East Sea (7,158 vessels). In order of the catch per unit effort (CPUE, mt/vessels) which was analyzed using catch and number of vessels in average by fishery, stow net is the highest followed by lift net, trap, purse seine, gill net, beam trawl and complex fisheries. In particular, the CPUE of complex and gill net fisheries, which accounted for the largest number of vessels were 4.0 mt/vessels and 1.6 mt/vessels, respectively. Since those are too low relative to other fisheries, it was judged to need systematical management on both fisheries.

한국 연안어업의 실태