A severe heat wave has killed more than 1.8 million strong-bodied flounder at a land-based fish farm in Pohang [1].
The mass die-off highlights the vulnerability of aquaculture to rising sea temperatures, threatening the livelihoods of local fish farmers and regional food supplies.
At the Homigot facility, farmer Jeong Yeon-sik has faced daily losses as water temperatures spiked. An average of 4,000 fish have died every morning this month [1]. The fish, which require water temperatures around 20°C to grow properly, suffered extreme heat stress as local sea temperatures climbed to a maximum of 28°C [1].
Reporters on the scene described the devastation as the fish were unable to survive the warming waters. "They died because they could not endure the heated sea water," Kim Geun-woo said [1].
While the intensity of the heat wave has softened slightly, the financial and biological impact continues to grow. The disparity between the optimal 20°C environment and the 28°C peak recorded this month created a lethal environment for the species [1].
Local operators are struggling to manage the aftermath of the surge in water temperature. The scale of the loss, exceeding 1.8 million fish, represents a significant blow to the facility's production capacity [1].
“More than 1.8 million strong-bodied flounder have died.”
This event underscores the immediate risks that climate-driven marine heatwaves pose to land-based aquaculture. Because these facilities often rely on pumping in local seawater, they remain susceptible to external temperature spikes that exceed the biological thresholds of specific species, necessitating a shift toward more robust climate-control infrastructure in fish farming.
