Beachgoers urged to watch out for sharks off east coast

By Jun Ji-hye

Maritime police and local governments servicing eastern coastal regions are on high alert as sharks have been spotted more frequently there recently.

Seen is a dead shark that was caught in a net in waters off Samcheok, Gangwon Province, Thursday. Yonhap

Local authorities said Tuesday that at least 10 live or dead sharks have been spotted in coastal waters in a month, attributing the frequent shark visits to rising ocean temperatures caused by global warming.

As an increasing number of people are visiting beaches for the summer holiday season, the maritime police have strengthened patrols of the shores. Local authorities have also set up large nets in an attempt to keep sharks away from beaches.

According to the maritime police in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, local fishermen spotted a 1.8-meter-long shark caught in the net on Monday.

This came a day after a captain of a fishing boat reported to the police that he saw a shark, which was about two to three meters long, swimming in waters off Pohang. The National Institute of Fisheries Science analyzed photos of the shark the captain took and presumed it was a shortfin mako.

On June 28, fishermen in Uljin also spotted a shark caught in the net near Mangyangjeong Beach.

“Fishermen and beachgoers are required to take extra precautions as a series of reports about shark visits have been made recently,” a maritime police officer in Pohang said.