Shark Caught Off East Coast Raises Alarms in South Korea

he shark was found about 1.4 kilometers off Jangsa Port in Sokcho, with no evidence that it had been caught using illegal fishing gear like harpoons. (Image courtesy of Sokcho Coast Guard)

SOKCHO, April 24 (Korea Bizwire) – Residents along South Korea’s eastern coastline are growing increasingly anxious after the first shark of the year was caught, raising fears over public safety as sightings of the predators surge in the waters of the East Sea.

According to the Sokcho Coast Guard, a shortfin mako shark measuring 295 cm long, with a girth of 130 cm and weighing 160 kg, became entangled in a fishing net around 5 a.m. on April 22. The shark was found about 1.4 kilometers off Jangsa Port in Sokcho, with no evidence that it had been caught using illegal fishing gear like harpoons.

While this was the first shark encounter reported this year along the coastline stretching from Goseong to Samcheok, the number of sightings of aggressive shark species in the East Sea has been rising sharply over the past two years, data shows.

According to the East Sea Fisheries Research Institute, which operates under the National Institute of Fisheries Science, there were 29 reports last year of large sharks — either accidentally caught or spotted — off the east coast from Goseong, Gangwon Province, to Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province. That was up from just one sighting in 2022.

Of particular concern, 14 of last year’s reports involved species like shortfin mako and white sharks, known for their aggressive behavior and razor-sharp teeth, posing potential threats to humans.

So far this year, in addition to the recent Sokcho catch, only one other shark has been reported, off North Gyeongsang in March. But experts say the East Sea can no longer be considered a sanctuary from the apex predators.

The leading theory is that rising sea temperatures are the primary driver behind the increased shark presence. As the East Sea warms, surface-dwelling fish like mackerel, Spanish mackerel and yellowtail are venturing farther north, luring sharks to trail their prey into coastal waters, researchers say.

“Sharks are distributed across the East, West and South Seas, but we believe the recent surge in sightings off the East Sea is because large amounts of their prey have migrated to these waters,” said Lee Sun-gil, a marine researcher at the fisheries institute. “We have begun additional ecological surveys this year to better understand the cause.”

M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)