Sustainability

<Sustainability of Deep sea Fishing>

Korea's deep sea fisheries industry is committed to securing sustainable fishing grounds through fishery resource management and marine environment protection.
Korea has joined 23 international fisheries organizations (5 general and 18 regional) to actively cooperate in sustainable fishing.
Of these, eight are quota-based organizations: the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT), the Southern Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organization (SPRFMO), the North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC), and the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR).

Conservation measures implemented by international fisheries organizations include setting total allowable catches (TAC) based on stock assessments, establishing measures to protect ETP species (endangered, threatened, and protected species), establishing obligations for observers (to board deep sea fishing vessels, monitor and supervise illegal fishing, and conduct scientific surveys), searching vessels on the high seas, monitoring, controlling, and surveying vessel locations, and maintaining fishing vessel registries.

The most representative international fisheries organization is the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), which manages the waters of the Central and Western Pacific. More than 90% of tuna, the representative species of Korean deep sea fishery, is caught in the Central and Western Pacific. The stock status of the four major tuna species (skipjack, yellowfin, bigeye, and albacore) assessed by the WCPFC is considered healthy and sustainable.

In Korea, deep sea fishing vessels are monitored by the Fisheries Monitoring Center (FMC). The FMC monitors the voyages of all deep sea fishing vessels 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and immediately contacts them when they approach restricted areas. The center also receives landing and transshipment reports from fishing vessels and prevents illegal catches from reaching the market in advance.

Recently, Korean deep sea fishing companies have been demonstrating their sustainability by obtaining sustainability certifications one after another. Currently, three companies, ➀ Dongwon Industries [tuna purse seine and tuna longline fishing in 2019-2020 (Midwest Pacific)], ➁ Jeonngil Corporation [krill fishing in 2021 (Southern Bering Sea)], and ➂ TNS Industries [Antarctic toothfish fishing in 2021 (Ross Sea)], have obtained MSC certification.
In addition, various companies such as Sajo Industries and Silla Company are pursuing MSC certification.