[Editorial] Our barren waters, seas of sorrow

Nine out of 10 yellow corvina are imported. Ten out of 10 hairtails are imported or caught thousands of kilometers from Korea. Most of the fish that are caught in seas near Korea are so young they are nothing but bones. The famous "Yeonpyeong fishing grounds," which used to be the stage for yearly tensions between North and South Korea during the Spring blue crab season, are a far cry from what they used to be. Today, even immature fish are scarce. There are not enough full-grown fish, so boats go after the little ones, leading to a vicious cycle where fewer and fewer are able to reproduce.

Korean waters were always the envy of surrounding countries. The seas surrounding the peninsula have provided fish that demand a high price each season, whether cold water or warm water species. Even as recently as the 80s, Korea's waters contained an estimated 10 million tons of marine products. Currently, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries estimates there will be only 3.90 tons of annual yield in 10 years. Experts say that by then, the very ability of our waters to reproduce fish will be be gone entirely.

You can be sure of the reason why a once-fertile fishing ground has turned into a barren sea: overfishing and the destruction of spawning grounds and habitats, most of which have been the victim of land reclamation projects, pollution, and indiscriminate fishing practices. All of the coastal areas in Gyeonggi Province have been developed, and sure enough, the yearly catch there is one third of what it was 10 years ago. On the west coast, only areas near Hampyeong and Gomso still have functioning spawning areas and natural habitats. They say that in five years, the country's coastal swamplands are going to shrink to half of what they are today. That is only going to speed up the destruction of the coast's reproductive capabilities.

There is a clear solution. Prevent overfishing and preserve spawning areas. Discharging frys and manmade habitats are just supplementary methods. The government has done nothing in what should be a self-evident response. Preventing overfishing requires support for the livelihood of those involved in the fishing industry. Recklessly blaming overfishing and enacting regulations is not the answer. It is the government that has been encouraging the destruction of spawning areas and not preventing overfishing.

The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries says it has begun restoring the "reproductive mechanism" of costal waters. Clearly, however, the problem cannot be fixed by the ministry alone. It is hard enough for people to expect to maintain jobs in fishing and for there to be enough of a budget to use to help people maintain livelihoods, so what is going to be done about how development-related arms of the government are pursuing the destruction of natural coastlines? What can the maritime ministry alone do about cooperation with neighboring countries on the protection of fish too young to catch? The government as a whole has to be involved. We cannot give up on the work of caring for jobs, income, and the nation's health.

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