The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announces that it has caught distributors who illegally sold domestic female crabs as Japanese crabs during a special crackdown on illegal distribution of domestic female crabs from Nov. 1 of last year to Feb. 28, /Courtesy of Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.

A distributor who misled consumers by selling domestically caught female crabs as Japanese crabs has been caught in a government special crackdown. The Fisheries Resources Management Act prohibits the capture of female and juvenile crabs year-round to manage the population of domestic blue crabs. Not only is capture prohibited, but possession, distribution, storage, and sale are also banned by law. Violators face up to two years in prison or fines of up to 20 million won.

On the 13th, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced that it conducted a special crackdown on the illegal distribution of domestically caught female blue crabs from November last year until the 28th of last month for three months. This special crackdown was initiated out of concern that domestically caught female blue crabs, which are banned from capture and distribution in Korea, could be mixed with imported Japanese female crabs.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries noted, "It is difficult to visually distinguish between domestic and Japanese crabs due to their similar appearance," adding, "If domestic crabs are disguised as Japanese crabs for distribution, it could cause consumer confusion and impact the price of domestic crabs, so proactive measures are essential."

Comparison of domestic and Japanese female crabs. /Courtesy of Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.

In a bid to prevent illegal distribution, the ministry secured 282 female crabs being sold online as Japanese and conducted genetic analysis. The analysis revealed that some of the female crabs were confirmed to be the same species as those domestically caught.

In response, the ministry traced the distribution channels of the online sellers and conducted undercover investigations to uncover those companies illegally distributing domestic female crabs as Japanese. The government plans to complete its investigation of the distributors by March and will refer the case to prosecutors.

Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Kang Do-hyung said, "We will continue to improve systems to protect fisheries resources and eradicate illegal capture and distribution of seafood," adding, "We will also strengthen monitoring of illegal seafood sales online and offline."