Nomura's jellyfish increases by 20-fold
By Isaac Kim
The number of toxic jellyfish has dramatically increased in the peninsula’s southern and western seas, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) and South Jeolla Province.
MOF said the number of Nomura’s jellyfish has skyrocketed to 800 per 100 square meters compared to last year’s two.
“We have investigated only parts of the sea, so it would be difficult to confirm that jellyfish has increased several hundred times,” said Prof. Yoon Won-deuk of the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI).
“However, China has seen a significant increase in the number of jellyfish, so it’s safe to say that the jellyfish population here has increased by at least 20-fold since last year.”
Head of the province’s fishery resources Choi Gap-jun explains, “The decreasing volume of mackerels and filefish, which eat baby jellyfish may be a factor in the exponential boom of jellyfish.”
Nomura’s jellyfish devours ocean life and fatally harms people with their stings, as demonstrated on Aug. 10 of last year, when an eight-year-old girl was stung and killed by a Nomura’s jellyfish.
Nomura’s jellyfish consume plankton, which is essential for the survival of fish and other marine life.
Fishermen, marine authorities, and the local government are on the alert, but they have no countermeasures against the invasion at the moment.
Nomura’s jellyfish can grow to two meters in size and weigh up to 150 kilograms at which point their toxins become more poisonous. The jellyfish that have been found in the coastal waters of Heuksando, South Jeolla Province, are currently 30 to 50 centimeters in size.