Will Jeju Haerujil standards change with the revision of the law?
(Jeju = Yonhap News) Reporter Baek Na-yong = In summer, you can easily meet people looking for something in the water on Jeju beaches.
These are the local residents and tourists who ‘spoil’.
Recently, fishing for blue crabs has become more popular through social networking services, making Jeju's seas more crowded.
So, is it okay to catch blue crab and other marine products in the waters off Jeju?
Let's look at the extent to which non-businessmen are permitted to catch sea bass, and see how Jeju's fishing standards will change according to the recently revised Fisheries Resources Management Act.
◇ For a wise resolution, this is a ‘must’
Haerujil is the act of catching fish and shellfish on a beach where the water has receded by lighting a light, mainly at night, or catching fish that flock to the light.
According to the Underwater Leisure Activities Act, harujil is judged to be a hobby of non-fisherman, that is, a leisure activity, not an activity for commercial purposes such as collecting and selling marine products.
Before swimming, you must first check whether the public water surface is open so that anyone can enter.
Fishing villages near fish farms or where signs are posted are the livelihood of local residents, so unauthorized entry is prohibited.
Because blue crab is an invasive species, there are no particular restrictions on its use, but farmed abalone and conch cannot be harvested.
In port areas with frequent ship traffic, permission must be obtained before sailing.
In fact, at around 10:30 p.m. on June 20, Sergeant A, in his 40s from the Seogwipo Police Station, was caught catching octopuses in the sea around Hallim Port in Jeju City without permission and was fined 900,000 won.
It is also essential to check the tide level.
At 10:29 p.m. on the 4th of last month, two men in their 20s who were fishing for blue crabs in the sea near Hando Bridge in Seongsan-eup, Seogwipo-si were stranded and rescued by the Coast Guard.
While fishing for blue crabs, they reported the water to the Coast Guard as the water began to rise faster and they decided that it would be difficult to get out on their own.
Fortunately, they were rescued safely by the coast guard, but it was a moment that could have almost led to a serious accident.
You also need to find out if it is prohibited. If you collect fishery products illegally during the closed fishing season, you may be booked on charges of violating the Fishery Resources Management Act.
In addition, you can use a landing net or tongs when fishing, but using fishing lights or power devices is prohibited, so caution is required.
◇ Changes in Jeju’s coastal waters are predicted due to the revision of laws related to sea logging.
The conflict that arises every year between fishing communities and non-fishermen over the quality of fishing boats is a problem that needs to be resolved.
The fishing community, including haenyeo, argues that “harry fishing must be strictly restricted to prevent the depletion of marine resources in the village fishing grounds.”
On the other hand, haerujil clubs and the leisure industry argue that restrictions on leisure activities such as haerujil are excessive, asking, “Is the sea for fishing villages?”
In particular, after the COVID-19 incident, the number of people wading in deserted coastal areas increased, and because of this, conflict reached its peak.
Accordingly, in April 2021, Jeju Island became the first in the country to issue a 'Notice on restrictions and conditions for catching and collecting by non-fishermen' that limits sea fishing from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.
In fact, it has prevented nighttime fishing.
In addition, the notice stipulated that 'in addition to fish, octopuses, crabs, and whelks, sessile aquatic animals such as shellfish, seaweed, and sea cucumbers, other than fish, octopuses, crabs, and conchs, must not be captured or collected within the village fishing area.'
Jeju Island imposed a total fine of 44 million won on 55 violations under this notice, but abolished the notice in June last year after determining that it violated higher-level laws.
Since the notice is a regulation with no basis in higher law and the Fisheries Resources Management Act does not have specific standards or punishment provisions for fishing, there was no way to impose sanctions even if conflict complaints were filed.
In this situation, changes were predicted in the waters off Jeju once again when the revised Fisheries Resources Management Act, which strengthened regulations on sea bass, was passed through the National Assembly in March.
In the revised bill, 'time' and 'place' were newly included in the criteria for restricting the capture and collection of fishery resources by non-fishermen, which had been limited to fishing gear, method, and quantity.
The amendment is scheduled to take effect around April next year.
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries is currently reviewing the criteria for limiting time and location through services, and plans to prepare an enforcement ordinance containing specific standards in the near future.
Once the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries standards are established, Jeju Island plans to enact ordinances tailored to Jeju's circumstances, such as banning fishing at night and restricting fishing in areas with village fishing rights, such as specific areas.
An official from Jeju Island said, "We will only know when the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries enforcement ordinance comes out as to whether it will be possible to set restrictions on seafood as in the past notices. Once the enforcement ordinance is in place, we plan to enact an ordinance in the first half of next year."
