Massive Appearance of Lion's Mane Jellyfish in Pohang Waters Causes Serious Damage to Fishermen

In Pohang, Gyeongbuk, the massive appearance of lion's mane jellyfish is causing significant difficulties for local fishermen.

According to Pohang City on the 19th, lion's mane jellyfish have appeared in large numbers in the nearby seas, seriously damaging fishermen who use various fishing methods such as set nets and striped nets.

Set net fishing is a traditional fishing method where nets are fixed in specific locations to capture passing fish, allowing for various species to be caught depending on the season. Striped net fishing involves encircling shoals of fish with floating nets. These fishing methods have been rendered ineffective due to the mass influx of jellyfish.

Due to the massive appearance of jellyfish, the fishing methods have become ineffective.

Local fishermen report that every time they pull up their nets, they find them filled with lion's mane jellyfish instead of the expected fish.

On the morning of the 19th, fishing boats fully loaded with jellyfish arrived at Guryongpo Port in Pohang. Fishermen expressed that if they collect jellyfish separately and catch fish at the same time, their vessels reach capacity limits, significantly decreasing fishing efficiency.

Concerns Over Early Exhaustion of Jellyfish Purchase Budget

Additionally, the nets used for catching anglerfish are relatively weak, and when filled with jellyfish, they risk tearing.

Moreover, lion's mane jellyfish are known for their strong toxicity, making them an even more troublesome presence for fishermen.

The situation continues where jellyfish occupy the areas where fish are supposed to be.

To address this situation, Pohang City started purchasing jellyfish on the 14th due to the massive influx of jellyfish into the coastal waters.

The purchase price is set at 300 KRW per kilogram, with a total budget of 150 million KRW. However, as of the 19th, 313 tons (about 93.9 million KRW) have already been purchased, raising concerns that the jellyfish purchase budget may be exhausted early.

Meanwhile, the National Fisheries Research Institute has issued a preliminary warning for jellyfish in the East Sea off Gyeongbuk since the 28th of last month.

Jeong Cheol-young, head of the Fisheries Policy Division of Pohang City, stated, "We will consider additional budget procurement based on the volume collected and the damage situation."

Image source: Fishing boats arriving at Guryongpo Port in Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk, on the morning of the 19th, are piled high with jellyfish. / News1, lion's mane jellyfish / Photo = Provided by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries