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Warming waters draw tropical species north, changing Korean fishing
A manta ray is displayed after being caught off the coast of Jeju Island, Tuesday. The specimen was donated to Jeju National University for research purposes. Courtesy of Jeju National University
By Park Ung
Climate change fuels calls for fishing quota revisions
An unusual sight unfolded off the coast of Jeju Island on Monday afternoon.
Around 3 p.m., sea surface temperatures approached 30 degrees Celsius — 7 to 8 degrees higher than at the same time last year, according to the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province's Ocean and Fisheries Research Institute.
But the heat wasn’t the only surprise.
Fishermen hauled in a manta ray nearly 1.8 meters long, a species typically native to tropical and subtropical waters.
The manta ray, listed as “vulnerable” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List and rarely caught this far north, is one of many warm-water species now appearing in Korean waters as ocean temperatures continue to rise due to climate change.
A manta ray is displayed after being caught off the coast of Jeju Island, Monday. The specimen was donated to Jeju National University for research purposes. Newsis
According to the National Institute of Fisheries Science, sea surface temperatures in Korean waters rose by about 1.35 degrees Celsius between 1968 and 2021 due to climate change. As a result, abnormal temperature patterns have become more frequent, leading to increased sightings of toxic jellyfish and subtropical fish species.
Last year, the average annual surface temperature hit 18.74 degrees — the highest recorded in 57 years. That was 0.65 degrees higher than the previous record of 18.09 degrees, set just a year earlier in 2023.
“It’s no longer unusual for manta rays to appear off Jeju Island as sea temperatures rise due to climate change,” Jung Suk-geun, a professor of fisheries science at Jeju National University, told The Korea Times.
“The waters around Jeju have seen a steady shift in marine life, with traditional species disappearing and new ones arriving. This is happening around the world — but the pace of change in Korea is especially fast.”
Indeed, another subtropical species was caught in Korean waters this week: the Pacific bluefin tuna.
Pacific bluefin tuna are laid out in front of a fish auction house in Yeongdeok, North Gyeongsang Province, Tuesday. Yonhap
On Tuesday, a fishing net off the coast of Yeongdeok, North Gyeongsang Province, hauled in about 1,300 large Pacific bluefin tuna, each weighing up to 150 kilograms. The net had been set for squid and mackerel, but the tuna are believed to have followed schools of mackerel and sardines into the area and become trapped.
Typically found in temperate and tropical waters, Pacific bluefin tuna have become increasingly common along Korea’s east coast as sea temperatures rise due to climate change.
Tuna catches along Korea’s east coast, including Uljin, Yeongdeok and Pohang in North Gyeongsang Province, have risen steadily in recent years. The total catch was just 3.3 tons in 2020, but by 2024 it had surged to 163.9 tons, nearly a 50-fold increase.
These environmental changes — and the resulting shifts in fish species — have fueled growing calls to revise fishing quotas.
The entire haul of Pacific bluefin tuna caught on Tuesday was discarded for use as animal feed because it surpassed the regional quota. Each year, the allowable catch in Korean waters is set by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries then allocates quotas to each region. In Yeongdeok, the local quota of 47 tons had already been exceeded.
“We are reviewing a request for an additional quota and plan to discuss the possibility of raising the limit in the near future,” a Yeongdeok County official said.