A school of tuna has appeared off the east coast. As bluefin tuna catches have surged around Uljin and Yeongdeok in North Gyeongsang, the provincial government asked the central government to expand the quota.
According to North Gyeongsang Province on the 11th, this year's in-province bluefin tuna catch quota is 350 tons (t) for set-net fishing and 15 t for other fisheries. Set-net fishing refers to a method of installing fixed nets in the sea to catch fish.
However, on the 10th alone, 190 t of bluefin tuna were caught in Uljin and 43 t in Yeongdeok. In a single day, more than 66% of the annual catch quota was filled.
In response, North Gyeongsang Province requested a quota expansion from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF), and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries increased the set-net fishing quota from the existing 350 t to 520 t.
Rising water temperatures are cited as the reason for the surge in tuna catches off the east coast. As sea temperatures climbed, sardines and mackerel—the main prey of bluefin tuna—increased, and the habitat range of bluefin tuna is analyzed to have shifted north.
According to the National Institute of Fisheries Science, off the east coast, after bluefin tuna eggs and larvae (juvenile fish) were first confirmed in waters near Ulleungdo and Dokdo in 2021, the number of appearances has been steadily increasing.
Domestic bluefin tuna catches were only 2 t in 2018 and 5 t in 2019, but rose sharply to 173 t in 2023 and 168 t in 2024.
As catches have surged, auction prices are falling. Bluefin tuna auction prices once topped 10,000 won per kilogram, but recently have dropped to around 2,000–5,000 won. The plunge is seen as an effect of the supply surge.