On March 16, “102 HAE JIN,” a 139-ton trawler, sank in the waters near Yokji Island (Yokjido) off the coastal city of Tongyeong, Gyeongnam. Despite calm waters and no wind warnings, the vessel went down. Five days earlier, another fishing vessel, a 20-ton “2 HAE SIN”, capsized in the nearby sea. Investigations are underway, with the primary suspected cause being aging defects on the ships. Both ships were considered “old,” over 15 years in service.
Over half of the fishing vessels currently operating in coastal waters are classified as older vessels at a heightened risk of maritime accidents. Despite the increasing likelihood of incidents as the fleet ages, the government has yet to implement clear measures to address this issue.
According to data from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) and Statistics Korea on Apr. 17., as of 2022, 32,418 fishing vessels, constituting 50.4% of the total registered fishing vessels (64,385), were old. Fishing vessels launched more than 15 years ago are classified as old. Furthermore, 33% of all registered fishing vessels in South Korea are more than 20 years old.
The fishing boats of the fleet are aging. In 2015, when Statistics Korea began tracking vessel age, 41% of registered fishing vessels (67,226), or 27,788 vessels, were 15 years or older.
Older fishing vessels are more likely to experience mechanical failures and equipment malfunctions, making them less capable of responding to accidents. According to the Korea Maritime Safety Tribunal, 917 maritime accidents last year were caused by “engine damage” to ships. This is a 5.3% increase from 2022 (871).
In 2021, the MOF announced the “Basic Plan for Safe Operation of Fishing Vessels,” aiming to mitigate accidents stemming from aging fishing vessels.
The plan included a survey titled “Awareness of Fishing Vessel Safety Risk Factors,” which was administered to 73 crews of littoral sea fishing ships. Of those surveyed, 27 crews (37%) identified aging fishing vessels as a risk factor. This was followed by failure to conduct safety inspections before departure (14%-19%) and expensive safety equipment (13%-18%).
Older fishing vessels often experience increased engine damage and have inferior equipment,” explained Park Deuk-jin, a professor at the Division of Marine Production System Management at Pukyong National University. “While the Korea Maritime Transportation Safety Authority conducts regular inspections of ships and navigation equipment, it’s challenging to entirely prevent accidents due to unique environmental factors encountered at sea.
Currently, there are no ways to stop old fishing vessels from operating. The sole safety measure in effect is the government’s mandate for these vessels to undergo regular inspections at least every five years, as outlined in the Ship Safety Act. Moreover, it is a financial burden for fishermen to purchase a new one, making replacement challenging. “It costs more than 1 billion won (about $722,282) to acquire a 20-ton vessel, so utilizing existing vessels for as long as possible has become a prevailing practice within the industry,” said a fisherman.
