Due to the massive death of oysters, South Korea has begun to expand its imports of Chinese aquatic products

Tongyeong, South Korea, is rich in oysters, and the oyster fishing season begins in October every year. However, the continued high temperatures this year have raised the sea temperature, causing a large number of oysters to die, and farmers have also suffered losses.

The reporter followed the fishing boat of Mr. Zhu, a farmer in Tongyeong, out to sea, and the fishermen fished up a bunch of oysters raised in the sea. However, more than 50% of the oysters fished up were dead, and the living oysters were less than half the normal size, which did not meet the standards for market sales.

Mr. Zhu told reporters that although oysters are highly heat-resistant, the high water temperature of more than 30 degrees Celsius from August to September this year has reduced the oxygen content in the water and accelerated the reproduction of bacteria, resulting in an increase in the mortality rate of oysters.
 
Zhu Daehan, an oyster farmer in Tongyeong, South Korea: This year's harvest is not satisfactory, it can be said to be the worst year, and the mortality rate of some oyster farms is as high as nearly 90%.

The high sea water temperature alert issued by South Korea this year lasted for 71 days, setting a record for the longest time in history. Oyster deaths have occurred in major oyster farming areas in southern South Korea, such as Tongyeong and Geoje, and the affected area accounts for 35% of the total area of ​​farms.

Chi Hongtai, president of the Tongyeong Oyster Farming Association of South Korea: At present, the amount of oysters listed in the auction market has decreased by about 20% compared with last year. In addition, rising sea temperatures will increase the mortality rate of developing oyster seedlings, and farmers are worried that the catch will decrease next year.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of South Korea, as of October 13, a total of 49.23 million farmed fish in South Korea died due to high water temperatures, an increase of 55% over last year.

Recently, large supermarket chains in South Korea have begun to expand imports of Chinese aquatic products such as mussels, abalone and clams to ease the tight supply situation in South Korea.