Following a six-month investigation, 55 individuals were recently questioned in connection with an illegal whaling operation and the killing of 17 minke whales. 13 are now being held by the Coast Guard in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, facing charges of unlawfully killing the whales from January to June of this year. Using harpoons and spears to kill the defenceless marine mammals, the group had used various tactics to stop being caught including hiding the whale meat in underwater buoys and transporting it to local eateries at night and also covering their boats with tents during processing to avoid detection by nearby vessels. However, a DNA test on one of the group’s vessels provided the key evidence that led to the arrest.
Since 1986, it has been illegal to hunt whales, porpoises or dolphins in South Korea but trading of cetaceans accidentally caught dead in fishing nets is allowed if fishermen report to police immediately discoveries of whales trapped in their nets or washed ashore. This is not always the case and illegal trading remains an issue because some fishers may be whaling under the guise of bycatch, opting for nets instead of harpoons to avoid any discernible wounds on the whales. Illegal whaling will continue to thrive because the accidental catch loophole offers a convenient excuse that is hard for authorities to verify and eateries are willing to pay large sums for the whales.
