Korea considers fishing licenses for hobbyist anglers

A tourist displays a fish caught in Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, in this undated file photo. Courtesy of Tongyeong City

Kim Dong-young, 28, took up fishing three years ago during a challenging period while fulfilling alternative military service, encouraged by a friend who said the hobby would bring him peace of mind.

“It really helped. Just looking out over the ocean or a river makes me feel better,” Kim told The Korea Times. “Although I haven’t been able to go as often lately, I used to make it out to the West Sea once or twice a month.”

But that simple pleasure may soon require a license.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries on Monday announced plans to introduce a recreational fishing license to better manage fishery resources and ease longstanding tensions with commercial fishers — a proposal floated since the 2000s but repeatedly stalled due to strong opposition from anglers.

According to the ministry, approximately 4,000 recreational fishing boats operated nationwide as of last year, with some 5 million annual users. The total number of recreational anglers in Korea is estimated at 7.2 million.

Countries such as Germany, Canada and the United States require fishing licenses. These systems often include catch limits to protect fish populations, helping to preserve fishing opportunities for future generations.

In the U.S., buying a fishing license is required in most states. Licenses are typically available online and fees go toward conservation and restoration efforts.

California, for example, offers various license options, including short-term and annual permits. Anyone age 16 or older must obtain a sport fishing license to catch fish, shellfish, reptiles or amphibians. However, no license is needed when fishing from a public pier in ocean waters.

Anglers crowd Namhang Pier in Incheon, April 20. Yonhap

Asked whether licenses would be categorized by type — such as freshwater, coastal or offshore boat fishing — ministry official Myeong Sang-soon told The Korea Times that the government is still in the early stages of long-term planning and has yet to finalize any specifics.

The fishing industry quickly pushed back.

“We are clearly opposed to the introduction of a licensing system,” Seo Sang-moo, a senior official at the Korea Fishing Association, told The Korea Times.

“This idea has been discussed for a long time, but the ministry still seems completely unprepared. I believe it’s simply an attempt to find another way to collect taxes.”

The ministry clarified that the fishing license system remains under review and has not yet been finalized.

“Many advanced countries have similar systems, so we’ve included it in our medium- to long-term basic plan,” ministry official Baek Ha-rim said.

The official also emphasized that a fishing license system and a catch quota system — which limits how many fish an angler can take — are two separate policies.

“If there’s no quota system, then even with a license, anglers could theoretically catch as many fish as they want. But if a quota is introduced alongside the license, both access and the amount anglers can catch would be limited,” she explained.