Gov't to tighten monitoring to prevent illegal whaling

By Lee Joon-seung
SEOUL, May 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will tighten monitoring to ferret out
illegal whaling operations that have drawn criticism from abroad, the government
said Wednesday.

The measures that go into effect next year will require all whales that were
caught accidently in fishing nets or washed ashore to receive official
certification before being sold on the market, the Ministry for Food,
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said.
"There has been a steady increase in the whale population in waters near the
Korean Peninsula, which has raised the chance of fishermen intentionally hunting
these animals for easy profit," a official said.
He added that the large number of whales caught has drawn flak from many
international conservationists and animal-rights groups, hurting South Korea's
overseas image.
As of 2008, 81 mink whales and 668 dolphins and porpoises were found dead in nets
or washed ashore, with six cases of illegal whaling detected by authorities.
Dolphins are not endangered although mink whales are one of 12 species of the
giant marine mammals that the International Whaling Commission is protecting from
all forms of hunting.
To prevent illegal whaling, DNA samples must be taken from all animals along with
detailed review of circumstances surrounding the death of whales. Failure to
provide such data will effectively bar processing and sales of whale parts and
meat, the official said.
Under the revised rules a person discovering a whale must first report it to the
Coast Guard, who will initially catalogue the animal. A report will be sent to
the local government and National Fisheries Research and Development Institute in
Busan, which will send investigators to determine the exact cause of death.
The ministry in charge of marine resources management and food, said other
measures that are to be taken call for the setting up of dedicated whale meat
processing centers authorized by local governments to better monitor transaction
of whales.
Seoul has officially banned whaling from 1986 onwards after joining the IWC, but
concerns have been raised that some local fishermen were disguising their whaling
activities by claiming the whales got tangled in fishing nets or were found on
shore. The country starting from 1994 allowed whales caught on fishing nets and
washed ashore to be sold on the market.
Fishermen engaging in illegal whaling could face fines up to 20 million won
(US$15,700) and a jail term of less than three years, the ministry said.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
(END)

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