Fishing areas in Yellow Sea to be expanded 91 sq. km next year

Fishing areas in Yellow Sea to be expanded 91 sq. km next year. December. 31, 2012 01:02. jmpark@donga.com.

Fishing areas around five islands near the Northern Limit Line in the Yellow Sea, which serves as the de facto sea border between both Koreas, will expand by 91 square kilometers from next year, the Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Ministry said Friday.

The ministry said it made the decision in response to requests from the Incheon Metropolitan Government and fishermen based on the islands of Baengnyeong, Daecheong, Socheong, Daeyeonpyeong, and Soyeonpyeong.

Fishing areas near Baengnyeong, Daecheong, and Socheong will increase the most with an expansion of 43 square kilometers, going from 133 to 176 square kilometers, while those around Yeonpyeong will get 37 square kilometers bigger to 801 square kilometers.

The fishing area west of Byeongnyeong Island will gain 36 square kilometers to 138 square kilometers. Those west of Byeongnyeong, where only fishermen from Daecheong and Socheong islands have been allowed to fish in, will be open to fishermen from Byeongnyeong as well.

In the region of the five Yellow Sea islands, 1,208 of the 4,206 households there fish for a living, operating 222 fishing boats.

Authorities said the latest expansion of fishing areas will help the country secure extra fisheries produce amounting to 250 tons per year, including crabs and sand eels.

A ministry source said, “With the expansion of the fishing areas, there is a chance that law and order in fishing will be disrupted there. So we advised Incheon Metropolitan City and Ongjin County to constantly deploy state fishing oversight boats,” adding “We will regulate fishing activities through Suhyup (Korea Fisheries Cooperative Federation) and local governments to ensure that fishermen keep fishing areas and hours.”