The government will strengthen the management of "Japanese female crabs." In South Korea, the capture and collection of female crabs has been prohibited, but since last year, the circulation of Japanese female crabs has raised concerns about increased illegal captures.
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced on the 7th that it would designate Japanese female crabs as a target item for the management of imported seafood distribution history. If this measure is implemented, companies importing or distributing Japanese female crabs will need to report their import and distribution history online or in writing. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries is also pushing for revisions to the enforcement ordinances of the Fisheries Act and the Fisheries Resource Management Act.
According to the seafood industry on the 17th, Japanese female crabs can currently be easily purchased not only in the domestic seafood market but also on social media and online shopping malls. The price of Japanese female crabs is about 30,000 won per kg, which is similar to that of domestic live crabs (male; 37,000 won). The word-of-mouth about female crabs with "valuable roe" is attracting consumer attention.
The Japanese female crabs being sold domestically are not illegal caught seafood. These crabs are of the "Bear-dai species," which are caught off Hokkaido and are considered an unpopular variety in Japan. They are noted to have less meat and inferior taste, resulting in low demand within Japan. The price of Bear-dai species in Japan is said to be about one-third of that of other crabs. The Japanese government does not manage this species, so capturing females is not problematic.
In contrast, the "Opilio species," which is mainly caught in South Korea and Japan, is a popular variety in Japan. In South Korea, capturing or selling female Opilio species or under-sized crabs can result in up to two years of imprisonment or fines of up to 20 million won.
In Japan, many prefectures also prohibit the capture of female Opilio species or limit the amount caught. Since it takes about 7 to 10 years for eggs laid by female crabs, known as "bread crabs," to grow into adults, capturing females without restriction could deplete the crab population.
The import of Japanese Bear-dai female crabs into South Korea began in late last year. Until 2023, the amount imported from Japan was "0 tons." However, from late October to late December last year, 69 tons were imported, and since early this year, a further 31 tons have been imported.
This is due to a significant surge in Bear-dai catches in Japan. It is reported that Japan does not even have accurate statistics, as Bear-dai species are aggregated as "other" in their statistics. However, it is estimated that the population of Bear-dai species has risen sharply due to a drastic decrease in the population of octopus that preys on Bear-dai.
The problem is that the influx of Japanese female crabs into the domestic market has increased the likelihood of illegal catches of female crabs in South Korea. It is not easy to distinguish between South Korean crabs and Japanese Bear-dai female crabs. The mouth shape of Bear-dai female crabs is M-shaped, while South Korean crabs have a straight line shape (一); aside from this, they look very similar.
Given the situation, it is now possible to mix South Korean crabs with Japanese Bear-dai crabs in the domestic market. If some fishermen illegally catch female crabs and distribute them in the market, it is difficult to detect. If Japanese female crabs stay in the market for a long time, the perception among consumers that "domestic female crabs are illegal catches" could disappear.
As a result, fishermen are opposing the import of Japanese female crabs. More than 500 fishermen staged a protest in front of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in November last year. They claimed that "the import of Japanese female crabs is preferential treatment" and demanded, "Please ban imports." They argue that Japanese female crabs disrupt the crab distribution market and harm fishermen. The city of Pohang has also proposed to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to add female crabs to the category of items subject to distribution history for imported seafood.
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries plans to strengthen distribution management instead of restricting the import of Japanese female crabs. First, they plan to implement a distribution history system in the first half of this year. Additionally, they plan to expand the list of crab species prohibited from capture and collection through a revision of the enforcement ordinance of the Fisheries Resource Management Act, and add a provision for "maintaining distribution order" through the newly established enforcement ordinance of the Fisheries Act. The key point is that even if seafood that is restricted from capture and collection is imported, its handling may be limited in South Korea.