The ongoing frigid weather conditions have claimed the lives of tens of thousands of fish raised on an aquafarm in South Jeolla Province, with more casualties to come according to the aggrieved owner. (Image: Yonhap)
GOHEUNG, Jan. 26 (Korea Bizwire) — The ongoing frigid weather conditions have claimed the lives of tens of thousands of fish raised on an aquafarm in South Jeolla Province, with more casualties to come according to the aggrieved owner.
With temperatures coming in at almost 10 degrees below zero, the sight that greets visitors to one fish farm in Goheung County is waters half covered with an unusual morass of white.
A closer look reveals that the white is in fact floating carcasses of the farm’s striped beakfish. The owner of the farm said the fish began to die one by one starting a few days back, but the majority of the deaths unfolded the day before.
Amidst the sea of white carnage blanketing the water were small ripples of movement by fish still alive that were flopping and gasping for breath.
The owner believes the worst is yet to come “There are most likely even more dead striped beakfish at the bottom that will rise to the surface eventually,” the 56-year old said sadly. (Image: Yonhap)
The owner believes the worst is yet to come. “There are most likely even more dead striped beakfish at the bottom that will rise to the surface eventually,” the 56-year old said sadly.
He explained that the plunging temperatures since January 12 have been the primary culprit in destroying his stock.
If it holds true that a 1-degree drop in water temperature to a fish is comparable to a 10-degree reduction for humans, the measured 6.3 degrees Celsius of the aquafarm’s water, more than 2 degrees lower than the 8.8 degrees recorded during the same period last year, would be an inhospitable environment. (Image: Yonhap)
Fish are known to be acutely sensitive to fluctuations in water temperatures. If it holds true that a 1-degree drop in water temperature to a fish is comparable to a 10-degree reduction for humans, the measured 6.3 degrees Celsius of the aquafarm’s water, more than 2 degrees lower than the 8.8 degrees recorded during the same period last year, would make for an inhospitable, hostile environment.
The owner added that the lack of disease during winter further bolsters his belief that the cold was the cause for his losses.
While the financial hit for the 30,000 dead striped beakfish is estimated at 160 million won, should the owner lose his entire stock of 160,000, the losses would soar to 800 million won.
The owner mentioned that he had experienced losses some winters prior to similarly unfavorable weather conditions.
Goheung County, the National Institute of Fisheries Science and the Goheung chapter of the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives have announced they will conduct an investigation into the damages.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
