Aquaculture in South Korea

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Global Aquaculture Production in South Korea

South Korea is a major center of aquaculture production, and the world's third largest producer of farmed algae as of 2020. [2]

Contents

South Korea occupies the southern portion of the Korean peninsula. The total land mass of the country is 98,480 km2 but only 20% consists of arable land and thus the population is concentrated around the coast. [3] [4] The Korean Peninsula is surrounded by the East, West and South Seas, a coastline that extends for about 2,413 km. Endowed with an abundance of fisheries resources, Koreans have developed a distinct seafood culture with annual per capita seafood consumption of 48.1 kg in 2005. [3]

Years of capturing wild fish combined with improved fishing technology have led to a continuous decrease in capture production in South Korea in recent years, and consequently led to a greater attention to aquaculture to meet the increasing demand for aquatic products.

Extensive aquaculture has been practiced in Korea for several hundred years, with seaweed farming beginning in the 1600s, but modern intensive aquaculture (mainly for seaweed and shellfish) did not emerge until the 1960s. [5] [6] However, total annual aquaculture production was less than 100,000 tonnes in this period. Aquaculture production increased from 147,000 tonnes in 1971, to over 1.2 million tonnes in 2006, and 2.3 million tonnes by 2017. [3] [7]

Cultured species

Current aquaculture production in South Korea is dominated by seaweeds, followed by molluscs and finfish. [3] [8]

Fishery productsTonnes (2008) [3] Percentage (2008) [3] Percentage (2017) [7]
Seaweed764 91360.776
Shellfish391 06031.118
Finfish91 1237.24
Others12 1280.92
Total1 259 274100100

Aquaculture in the sea has developed differently due to the variation of three different coastal regions. [9]

Cage farms for finfish production near the coast Cage farm ff.png
Cage farms for finfish production near the coast

Seaweed

Most aquaculture in South Korea consists of seaweed farming. In 2005, 55% of aquaculture production in South Korea consisted of seaweed. [1] By 2017, that had increased to 76% of all aquaculture production, totaling 1,761,526 tonnes. [6] Seaweed culture is mainly concentrated on the southwest coast, where almost 90% of South Korean seaweed cultivation takes place. Cultured seaweed species include sea mustard ( Caulerpa sp.), gim ( Porphyra and Pyropia spp.), kelp ( Laminaria spp.), hijiki (Hizikia fusiformis), green laver ( Monostroma sp.), daisima ( Saccharina japonica ), and codium (Codium sp.). [8] [6] The brown seaweed Undaria dominates algal aquaculture production, constituting 42% of the total wet weight. [11] Gim, however, is the most valuable, making up 71% of the total seaweed production value. [6] The production was estimated to be 217,559 tonnes in 2008 (wet weight) which is equivalent to more than 10 billion sheets of dried gim, making South Korea the world's largest exporter of gim. [3] [6]

South Korea was a pioneer of selective seaweed breeding, with government-supported research beginning in the 1980s and continuing to the present day. [6] Winter harvesting of seaweed takes place and the process of preparation involves repeatedly wetting and drying the seaweed. [12] Jeonnam Province produced in 2023 approximately 78% of South Korean seaweed. In an endeavour to improve the international export price for South Korean seaweed, new systems of quality control and management were announced as being introduced in the province. South Korean seaweed was at the time sold for well under half the price of its Japanese equivalent. [13] Sinan Bada Fishery Corporation operating on the Western Coast of Korea in Shinan County obtained in 2024 the first designation world-wide of sustainable seaweed certified both by the Marine Stewardship Council and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council. [14]

Shellfish

Molluscs are the second-most important group of marine aquaculture products. The primary species produced, including the oysters ( Crassostrea gigas and Pinctada fucata ), Korean mussel ( Mytilus coruscus ), the sea squirt red oyas ( Halocynthia roretzi ), the Japanese carpet shell ( Ruditapes philippinarum ), ark shells ( Anadara satowi and A. broughtonii ), cockles ( A. granosabisenensis and A. subcrenata ), Yesso scallop ( Patinopecten yessoensis ) and abalone ( Haliotis discus hannai ). [8] Production of molluscs reached 391,060 tonnes in 2006, making up 31.1% of the total aquaculture production of South Korea. [3]

Oysters are considered to be the most important molluscan shellfish in the aquaculture industry of South Korea, which, in 2005, produced 251,706 tonnes of oysters. [15] [16] Approximately 90% of the Korean oysters come from farms located in small bays and off islands along the southern coast. [15] Oyster farming is highly popular, as it produces high profits. For example, in 2003, one oyster farming family worked on 126 oyster long-lines producing a net profit of 33,000 US dollars. [17]

Finfish

Marine finfish culture is dominated by bastard halibut ( Paralichthys olivaceus ), Korean rockfish ( Sebastes schlegeli ), mullet, seabass, yellowtail, red seabream, black seabream, brown croaker and puffers. [8]

Finfish are the most important species in freshwater aquaculture; species in this group include trout, mud fish ( Clarias sp.), Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica), tilapia, common carp, loach, colored carp, snakehead (Channa sp.), sweet fish, Korean bullhead ( Pelteobagrus fulvidraco ), goldfish and mountain trout. [8]

Crustacean

Crustacean culture is primarily concerned with two species of shrimp and some crabs. Fleshy prawn ( Fenneropenaeus chinensis ) and kuruma prawn ( Marsupenaeus japonicus ) are the prime species of shrimp being farmed with the former raised mostly in farms along the west of the peninsula and the latter in farms in the southern region. [8]

There have been deliberate efforts to shift from the production of low value aquaculture species such as seaweeds to high value species like finfish in South Korea. The government has been pursuing a long-term aquaculture development programme through the expansion of areas for aquaculture and the intensified development of both profitable and unexploited species. Already certain tidal areas in the southern provinces have been designated for shellfish culture. [11] [18] Korea planned to reduce by 10% production facilities devoted to products such as laver and sea-mustard, with no new licences to be issued between 2000 and 2005. [17] [19] Another reason for the slow down in growth is the loss of some aquaculture areas to industrial pollution, such as the case with oysters, [20] due to the reclamation works and construction of industrial complexes in coastal districts. [8]

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries encouraged the industry to reduce production costs so that it can compete with foreign counterparts. [21] Between the period of 1997 and 2003, aquaculture production of aquatic plants dropped by 30% and mussels by 75%. [21] On the other hand, olive flounder and black rockfish production increased by 78%. [21] There was also an increased interest in farming of shrimps (P. chinensis and P. japonicus) and the mitten-handed crabs, previously only cultured in China. As a result, crustacean production has increased by 48% between 1997 and 2003. [18]

In 2006, the integrated aquaculture management created an alternate plan to overcome problems such as harmful algal blooms, typhoons, and pollution created by human activities. [9] In this plan, the scope of 'aquaculture ground' extends to open areas. It is divided into three subdivisions; land-based aquaculture, integrated multi-trophic aquaculture, and offshore aquaculture. [9] [22]

Current and future directions

Despite increases in finfish production, Korean aquaculture is still dominated by seaweeds. [7] There was an rise in production of high value fish species, such as olive flounder and black rockfish beginning in the 1990s and a new interest in culturing penaeid shrimp, but the increase slowed and even reversed by the mid-2010s. [21] As of 2021, the major issues facing Korean aquaculture are eutrophication, disease, rising sea temperatures, and ocean acidification.

Eutrophication and disease

The increase in finfish aquaculture from the 1990s to the 2000s coincided with an rise in the incidence of harmful algal blooms in southeast Korea. [23] Excess nutrients from finfish feces and uneaten feed probably bear some of the blame, especially as Korean finfish cages are often located far from nutrient sinks like seaweed or sea cucumber farms. [23]

Excess nutrients can act as a reservoir for diseases and parasites as well. Sicknesses like red rot disease in Pyropia, Vibrio in shellfish, and parasites in fish are a major research subject in Korea due to their ability to ruin production. [24] [25] The Korean government began a project funding selective breeding of seaweeds for disease resistance and growth rate in the mid-2010s, referred to as Golden Seed.

A possible solution would be to shift to IMTA. While it is not widely practiced in Korea as yet, the first Korean IMTA farm opened in 2012 with black rockfish as the main species, and Pacific oyster, sea cucumbers, and two seaweeds as nutrient removers. [26] It was successful in matching or increasing organism growth when compared to monocultures.

Climate change

Korean sea temperatures are predicted to rise by several degrees by 2100, with temperature-sensitive species such as gim and Korean rockfish suffering the worst. [27] Overall, seaweeds and sea squirts are the most vulnerable to changing temperature and salinity. Already, a heatwave in 2016 raised sea temperatures by over 2 degrees, resulting in the loss of over 60 million cultured organisms and leaving many others more vulnerable to disease. [28] Ocean acidification is linked to the deaths of bivalves, particularly littleneck clams, through degradation of their shells. [28] Because the east and west coast of the country are predicted to warm faster than the south, however, it is unlikely that farms will be able to move production northwards to escape the effects of climate change. [28]

Export trade

Dried seaweed ("gim") is a major export commodity of South Korea. In 2023 the period January to October saw exports rise by over 20% on the previous year to US $670 million. [29] These exports in 2023 were made to 124 countries, and the year-end total exports were US $763 million. [30] [31]

See also

Geography of South Korea

Fishing industry in South Korea

Agriculture in South Korea

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aquaculture</span> Farming of aquatic organisms

Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater, brackish water and saltwater populations under controlled or semi-natural conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the harvesting of wild fish. Aquaculture is also a practice used for restoring and rehabilitating marine and freshwater ecosystems. Mariculture, commonly known as marine farming, is aquaculture in seawater habitats and lagoons, as opposed to freshwater aquaculture. Pisciculture is a type of aquaculture that consists of fish farming to obtain fish products as food.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mariculture</span> Cultivation of marine organisms in the open ocean

Mariculture, sometimes called marine farming or marine aquaculture, is a specialized branch of aquaculture involving the cultivation of marine organisms for food and other animal products, in enclosed sections of the open ocean, fish farms built on littoral waters, or in artificial tanks, ponds or raceways which are filled with seawater. An example of the latter is the farming of marine fish, including finfish and shellfish like prawns, or oysters and seaweed in saltwater ponds. Non-food products produced by mariculture include: fish meal, nutrient agar, jewellery, and cosmetics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishery</span> Raising or harvesting fish

Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life or, more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place. Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farms, both in freshwater waterbodies and the oceans. About 500 million people worldwide are economically dependent on fisheries. 171 million tonnes of fish were produced in 2016, but overfishing is an increasing problem, causing declines in some populations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cobia</span> Species of fish

The cobia is a species of carangiform marine fish, the only extant representative of the genus Rachycentron and the family Rachycentridae. Its other common names include black kingfish, black salmon, ling, lemonfish, crabeater, prodigal son, codfish, and black bonito.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fish hatchery</span> Aquaculture facility

A fish hatchery is a place for artificial breeding, hatching, and rearing through the early life stages of animals—finfish and shellfish in particular. Hatcheries produce larval and juvenile fish, shellfish, and crustaceans, primarily to support the aquaculture industry where they are transferred to on-growing systems, such as fish farms, to reach harvest size. Some species that are commonly raised in hatcheries include Pacific oysters, shrimp, Indian prawns, salmon, tilapia and scallops.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific oyster</span> Species of bivalve

The Pacific oyster, Japanese oyster, or Miyagi oyster is an oyster native to the Pacific coast of Asia. It has become an introduced species in North America, Australia, Europe, and New Zealand.

Oyster farming is an aquaculture practice in which oysters are bred and raised mainly for their pearls, shells and inner organ tissue, which is eaten. Oyster farming was practiced by the ancient Romans as early as the 1st century BC on the Italian peninsula and later in Britain for export to Rome. The French oyster industry has relied on aquacultured oysters since the late 18th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture</span> Type of aquaculture

Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) provides the byproducts, including waste, from one aquatic species as inputs for another. Farmers combine fed aquaculture with inorganic extractive and organic extractive aquaculture to create balanced systems for environment remediation (biomitigation), economic stability and social acceptability.

The Shellfish Association of Great Britain (SAGB) is a historic association that was founded as the Oyster Merchants' and Planters' Association in 1903, it was renamed the SAGB in 1969. They cover a wide range of topics within the shellfish industry, from trading to advice on nutritional standards and also the sustainability of the industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing industry in South Korea</span>

Until the 1960s, agriculture and fishing were the dominant industries of the economy of South Korea. The fishing industry of South Korea depends on the existing bodies of water that are shared between South Korea, China and Japan. Its coastline lies adjacent to the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea and the East Sea, and enables access to marine life such as fish and crustaceans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing industry in China</span>

China has one-fifth of the world's population and accounts for one-third of the world's reported fish production as well as two-thirds of the world's reported aquaculture production. It is also a major importer of seafood and the country's seafood market is estimated to grow to a market size worth US$53.5 Billion by 2027.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing industry in the United States</span>

As with other countries, the 200 nautical miles (370 km) exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off the coast of the United States gives its fishing industry special fishing rights. It covers 11.4 million square kilometres, which is the second largest zone in the world, exceeding the land area of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aquaculture in New Zealand</span>

Aquaculture started to take off in New Zealand in the 1980s. It is dominated by mussels, oysters and salmon. In 2007, aquaculture generated about NZ$360 million in sales on an area of 7,700 hectares. $240 million was earned in exports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aquaculture in Australia</span> On a steady increase since 1970 accounting for 34% of seafood

Aquaculture in Australia is the country's fastest-growing primary industry, accounting for 34% of the total gross value of production of seafood. 10 species of fish are farmed in Australia, and production is dominated by southern bluefin tuna, Atlantic salmon and barramundi. Mud crabs have also been cultivated in Australia for many years, sometimes leading to over-exploitation. Traditionally, this aquaculture was limited to table oysters and pearls, but since the early 1970s, there has been significant research and commercial development of other forms of aquaculture, including finfish, crustaceans, and molluscs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aquaculture in China</span>

China, with one-fifth of the world's population, accounts for two-thirds of the world's reported aquaculture production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seaweed farming</span> Farming of aquatic seaweed

Seaweed farming or kelp farming is the practice of cultivating and harvesting seaweed. In its simplest form farmers gather from natural beds, while at the other extreme farmers fully control the crop's life cycle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing in Pakistan</span>

Fishery and fishing industry plays a significant part in the national economy of Pakistan. With a coastline of about 1,120 km, Pakistan has enough fishery resources that remain to be developed. Most of the population of the coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan depends on fisheries for livelihood. It is also a major source of export earning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aquaculture in Canada</span>

Aquaculture is the farming of fish, shellfish or aquatic plants in either fresh or saltwater, or both. The farmed animals or plants are cared for under a controlled environment to ensure optimum growth, success and profit. When they have reached an appropriate size, they are harvested, processed, and shipped to markets to be sold. Aquaculture is practiced all over the world and is extremely popular in countries such as China, where population is high and fish is a staple part of their everyday diet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Offshore aquaculture</span> Fish farms in waters some distance away from the coast

Offshore aquaculture, also known as open water aquaculture or open ocean aquaculture, is an emerging approach to mariculture where fish farms are positioned in deeper and less sheltered waters some distance away from the coast, where the cultivated fish stocks are exposed to more naturalistic living conditions with stronger ocean currents and more diverse nutrient flow. Existing "offshore" developments fall mainly into the category of exposed areas rather than fully offshore. As maritime classification society DNV GL has stated, development and knowledge-building are needed in several fields for the available deeper water opportunities to be realized.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aquaculture in the United Kingdom</span>

Aquaculture in the United Kingdom is dominated by salmon farming, then by mussel production with trout being the third most important enterprise. Aquaculture in the United Kingdom represents a significant business for the UK, producing over 200,000 tonnes of fish whilst earning over £700 million in 2012 (€793 million).

References

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  10. ↑ Park, Miseon; Shin, Sook Kyung; Do, Yong Hyun; Yarish, Charles; Kim, Jang Kyun (2018). "Application of open water integrated multi-trophic aquaculture to intensive monoculture: A review of the current status and challenges in Korea". Aquaculture. 497: 174–183. doi:10.1016/j.aquaculture.2018.07.051.
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  13. ↑ https://www.tridge.com/news/introduction-of-jeonnam-hyung-seaweed-quality-cont-2 Retrieved 26 March 2024
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  15. 1 2 Choi, K.S. (2008). "Oyster Capture-based Aquaculture in the Republic of Korea". FAO Fisheries Technical Paper. 508: 271–286.
  16. ↑ Choi, K.S. "Current Status of Korean Shellfish Aquaculture" (PDF). Retrieved 2011-09-19.
  17. 1 2 Choi, K.S. "Oyster Aquaculture in Korea" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-12-08. Retrieved 2011-09-18.
  18. 1 2 Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific (2006). Regional review on aquaculture development. 3. Asia and the Pacific – 2005. FAO Fisheries Circular. No. 1017/3. p. 97. ISSN   0429-9329.
  19. ↑ FAO (2000a). "Report of the KMI/APRACA/FAO Regional Workshop on the Effects of Globalization and Deregulation on Marine Capture Fisheries in Asia and the Pacific, Pusan, Republic of Korea, 11–15 October 1999". FAO Fisheries Report. 624.
  20. ↑ FAO (2004–2011). "Fishery and Aquaculture Country profiles. Republic of Korea. Fishery and Aquaculture Country Profiles". FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department.
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  22. ↑ Asianinfo. "Fisheries in Korea" . Retrieved 2011-09-20.
  23. 1 2 Park, Miseon; Shin, Sook Kyung; Do, Yong Hyun; Yarish, Charles; Kim, Jang Kyun (December 2018). "Application of open water integrated multi-trophic aquaculture to intensive monoculture: A review of the current status and challenges in Korea". Aquaculture. 497: 174–183. doi:10.1016/j.aquaculture.2018.07.051.
  24. ↑ Ryu, Ra; Mok, Jong Soo; Lee, Da Eun; Kwon, Ji Young; Park, Kunbawui (2019). "Occurrence, virulence, and antimicrobial resistance of Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolated from bivalve shellfish farms along the southern coast of Korea". Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 26: 21034–21043. doi:10.1007/s11356-019-05426-1.
  25. ↑ Ward, George; Faisan, Joseph; Cottier-Cook, Elizabeth; Gachon, Claire; Lim, Phaik; Hurtado, Anicia; Matoju, Ivy; Msuya, Flower; Bass, David; Brodie, Juliet (2019). "A review of reported seaweed diseases and pests in aquaculture in Asia". Journal of the World Aquaculture Society. 51: 815–828. doi: 10.1111/jwas.12649 .
  26. ↑ Park, Hyun Je; Lee, Won Chan; Han, Eunah; Kwak, Jung Hyun; Kim, Hyung Chul; Park, Miseon; Kang, Chang-Keun (2015). "Trophic structure in a pilot system for the integrated multi-trophic aquaculture off the east coast of Korean peninsula as determined by stable isotopes". Marine Pollution Bulletin. 95: 207–214. doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.04.019.
  27. ↑ Kim, Bong Tae; Brown, Christopher; Kim, Do Hoon (2019). "Assessment on the vulnerability of Korean aquaculture to climate change". Marine Policy. 99: 111–122. doi:10.1016/j.marpol.2018.10.009.
  28. 1 2 3 Kim, Bong Tae; Han, In Seong; Lee, Joon Soo; Kim, Do Hoon (2021). "Impact of seawater temperature on Korean aquaculture under representative concentration pathways (RCPs) scenarios". Aquaculture. 542: 736893. doi:10.1016/j.aquaculture.2021.736893.
  29. ↑ Yonhap (2023-12-10). "S. Korea's exports of dried seaweed hit new record in 2023". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
  30. ↑ "South Korea sees new record of seaweed exports | Australia-Korea Business Council". www.akbc.com.au. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
  31. ↑ "S.Korea sees new record of seaweed exportsView Details | Investment News | InvestKOREA(ENG)". www.investkorea.org. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
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