Damselfish is in season, but fishermen and merchants are disappointed with this year’s catch. Mike Laidman reports.
This is (모슬포) Moseulpo Port in (대정읍) Daejeong-eup, Seogwipo, where in May, it is usually crowded with damselfish sellers and shoppers.

But today, the port is quiet. The sellers who have been waiting for the damselfish fishing boats to come in instead close up early.

Recording
Damselfish merchant
The damselfish catch has dropped to just one third of an average year, and prices are still high.
<싱크 : 자리돔 직거래 상인>
"(자리돔이) 1/3 밖에 안 난다고 봐야지. 작년같으면 지금 막 나서 (가격이) 싸기도 하고..."

There used to be schools of damselfish in the waters off Jeju, but a proper damselfish fishing ground has yet to form this year.

[slug]
Damselfish catch plummets

On average, a fishing boat pulls in 300 kilograms of the fish each year, but thus far in 2018, boats are looking at an average of less than half of that.

INTERVIEW
Gang Seong-tae / Damselfish fisherman
In previous years, we caught hundreds of kilograms of damselfish. But this year we’ve hauled in only dozens of kilograms.
<인터뷰 : 강성태 / 자리잡이 어선 선원>
"(예전에는) 몇 백 kg씩 잡죠. 그런데 지금은 몇 십 kg 밖에 안 잡히죠."

The nearby fish restaurants are also quiet.

INTERVIEW
Moseulpo restaurant worker
It’s a concern. Diners are disappointed when they discover that they cannot order damselfish dishes.
<인터뷰 : 인근 식당 관계자>
"걱정이죠. 이제 자리철인데 손님들이 먹고 싶은데 못 먹으면 화나잖아요. 그런걸 보면 속상하죠."

[slug]
‘Lower water temperatures to blame’

Experts say lower temperatures than usual in the ocean around Jeju are responsible for the decreased catch. Only if the water is warm enough can a damselfish fishing ground form.

Recording
Jeju Fisheries Research Institute representative
The water temperatures around Jeju haven’t reached the level at which damselfish gather. Instead, anchovies, which like the cold water, have been schooling, meaning more anchovy fishing boats.
<싱크 : 제주수산연구소 관계자>
"어장이 형성될 정도의 수온이 안된 것 같습니다. 그 근거로 자리돔 어장 근처에 멸치배들이 자주 보입니다. 멸치배들은 수온이 차가운 곳에 모여 다니거든요."

[Reporter] Mike Laidman
[Camera] Kim Yong-min

So while it may very well be damselfish season, the big year-on-year drop in the amount of fish being caught has fishermen on edge.

Mike Laidman, KCTV