Minke Whale, dubbed 'the Lotto of the Sea,' discovered entangled in nets off the coast of Gunsan

A minke whale, referred to as 'the Lotto of the Sea,' was found dead entangled in a fishing boat's net off the coast of Gunsan, Jeollabuk-do. This whale was auctioned for a staggering 36.1 million won, demonstrating its value.

**High Auction Price**

According to the Gunsan Coast Guard, at around 8:30 PM on the 13th, the 9.7-ton fishing vessel A reported accidentally catching a minke whale approximately 22 km southwest of Maldo in Okdo-myeon, Gunsan.

The discovered minke whale measured 5 meters in length, had a circumference of 2.5 meters, and weighed about 1 ton, with no visible signs of illegal capture found.

After completing on-site investigations, the Coast Guard issued a "whale processing confirmation certificate" to the captain of vessel A and transferred the whale.

This whale was auctioned at the Gunsan Beo-eung Port Fishing Cooperative on the morning of the 14th, fetching a final price of 36.1 million won.

**Legal Regulations on Whale Bycatch**

Under current whale-related laws, intentionally capturing whales using harpoons or similar tools can result in imprisonment for up to three years or fines of up to 30 million won. However, whales caught incidentally during fishing activities, known as bycatch, can be officially distributed and sold after obtaining a confirmation from the Coast Guard.

Due to these legal provisions, caught whales are informally referred to as 'the Lotto of the Sea' among fishermen.

This is because one instance of bycatch can yield tens of millions of won in profit.

A Coast Guard official stated, "No signs of illegal tools were found on the minke whale caught this time, so it was processed legally. We will continue to enhance monitoring to prevent illegal captures in the future."

**Ecology and Protection Status of Minke Whales**

Minke whales are small cetaceans that inhabit oceans worldwide and are protected under the International Whaling Commission’s (IWC) commercial whaling moratorium.

They are known to migrate primarily along the Korean coast during spring and are recognized as important members of the ecosystem.

The Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries are conducting research on the development of fishing gear to prevent bycatch, along with monitoring illegal whaling to protect species like the minke whale. However, completely preventing incidental catches during fishing activities remains a challenging situation, and legal processing procedures are in place to address this.

Whale meat can be legally distributed in South Korea, but the source is limited to bycaught whales.

This restriction increases the rarity of whale meat, leading to high market prices. Minke whale meat, in particular, is often sold at high prices due to its taste and nutritional value.

Image source: On the 13th at around 8:30 PM, a minke whale was accidentally caught on fishing vessel A (9.7 tons) operating in offshore waters, approximately 22 km southwest of Maldo in Okdo-myeon, Gunsan. The caught minke whale was measured at 5 m in length, 2.5 m in circumference, and weighed 1 ton / provided by the Gunsan Coast Guard, minke whale / gettyimagesbank, resource photo for better understanding of the article / igor francetic – unsplash