Fisheries executives in Yeonggwang, South Korea, held a resolution rally this week to demand government action against a collapsing seafood industry [1].

The crisis threatens the food security and economic stability of coastal regions as climate change disrupts traditional fishing and aquaculture methods.

Industry leaders identified a "triple hardship" currently crippling the sector: declining fish catches, severe heatwave damage, and sluggish consumer demand [1]. According to industry reports, extreme heat has caused the mass death of millions of fish in aquaculture farms [1].

Financial losses are compounded by a sharp drop in market prices. Lee Yoo-sung, CEO of Wando Abalone Co., said a combination of increased production and slowing consumption has led to a rapid price decline over the last three years [1]. He said abalone prices have fallen to approximately 50% of what they were three years ago [1].

To survive the downturn, the group pledged to transition toward smart aquaculture, eco-friendly fisheries, and the preservation of marine ecosystems [1]. This shift aims to reduce reliance on volatile natural conditions and modernize the industry's infrastructure.

Park Mi-kwang, head of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City Fisheries Management Association, said the change is not merely a change in name but a fundamental shift for fisheries managers [1].

The executives are calling on the government to provide immediate countermeasures to mitigate the effects of the economic recession and climate-driven losses [1].

“Extreme heat has caused the mass death of millions of fish in aquaculture farms.”

The crisis in Yeonggwang reflects a broader systemic vulnerability in South Korea's seafood industry to rising sea temperatures. The transition to 'smart aquaculture' indicates a move toward controlled-environment aquaculture (CEA) to decouple food production from unpredictable weather patterns, though such a transition requires significant capital investment and government subsidies to be viable for small-scale operators.