Female crab distribution chaos, strict management and supervision required

A ban on the capture and distribution of female crabs in Korea to protect marine resources has been breached, with around 20% of Japanese female crabs sold online being found to be domestic ones. This has sparked concerns among local crab fishermen about the potential depletion of crab resources in the East Sea, as it is difficult to distinguish domestic and Japanese crabs visually. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries is being called upon to revise laws to restrict or prohibit the handling of fishery products whose catch is prohibited in Korea, and to strengthen supervision and management systems to ensure compliance. The government also needs to enhance country of origin labeling management to prevent such breaches in the future and restore market trust.

Our country has long banned the capture and distribution of female crabs to protect marine resources. However, since Japanese female crabs have been sold through major domestic online platforms since late 2024, crab fishermen on the East Sea have become more anxious than ever. Fishermen are most concerned about the possibility that illegally caught domestic female crabs may be mixed in the process of selling Japanese female crabs, which could deplete crab resources on the East Sea. Fishermen’s worries have become reality. After the import of Japanese female crabs, the National Fisheries Products Quality Management Service’s DNA test results confirmed that approximately 20% of Japanese female crabs distributed in Korea are actually domestic. In addition, even field officials in charge of crackdowns have difficulty distinguishing domestic and Japanese female crabs with the naked eye, which increases the severity of the problem. In this situation, it is an appropriate measure ...