Photo: Stockfile/FIS

38% of Korea's fishing vessels over 21 years old

SOUTH KOREA
Friday, November 15, 2024, 00:10 (GMT + 9)

With concerns arising over whether the worn hull of a 34-year-old fishing vessel contributed to its recent sinking, data released Thursday highlights that nearly 40 percent of South Korea's fishing fleet is over two decades old, according to a report by Yoon Min-sik of the Korea Herald.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries reports that as of 2023, 24,504 fishing boats in South Korea, or 38.1 percent of the nation’s registered fleet, are 21 years or older. Among these, 12,205 boats were built over 26 years ago.

South Korea currently lacks official criteria for decommissioning aging boats, instead relying on regular inspections every five years and additional inspections for vessels involved in accidents, regardless of age. This approach has left older boats largely unmonitored despite an increase in the proportion of aging vessels, which has risen annually from 30.2 percent in 2020.

Meanwhile, newly-constructed fishing vessels in the country have declined, with numbers dropping from 95,890 in 2022 to 64,233 last year.

The exact cause of last week’s tragic sinking of the 129-metric-ton Geumseong near Jeju Island, which left four crew members dead and 10 still missing, has yet to be determined. However, many suspect that the vessel's age may have played a role.

Government data underscores the risk associated with older vessels, noting that in 2023, fishing boats over 20 years old were involved in 817 accidents—accounting for 36.7 percent of all fishing boat accidents that year.

[email protected]
www.seafood.media

Print