Status of Fisheries Resources of Korea

Fishing harvests have fluctuated during the past decades in Korea. Due to the fishery harvests fluctuations, the importance of fishery resources management has been stressed in all aspects. Currently, 36 species in fishes, crustaceans, bivalves, and cephalopods are systematically managed and estimated as Tier 2-4 in ABC scale. Stock status of 16 species was estimated as low levels. Among these, stock status of 11 species was decreasing, except the small yellow croaker and common anchovy, which are increasing. Although most fishery resources are becoming recovered, fishing intensities still stay on high levels. TAC species of Korea are 11 species that 9 and 2 species were decided by the Ministry of Ocean and Fisheries and by the local governments, respectively. Trained fishery observers are on duty at fishing ports. Also, fishery resource recovery programs for 15 species have been running since 2006. Recently, the government makes efforts to control fishing intensities and to understand the stock status of forage and young fish. Stock assessments based on ecosystem through risk scores on individual species are primarily applied to TAC species and stock rebuilding species. Researches on the developing semi-quantitative and qualitative management indicators and biological reference points are on progress.