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North Korea Fisheries
North Korea's coastline of about 2,495 kilometers, mixture of
warm and cold ocean currents, and many rivers, lakes, and streams
make its potential for fishery development better than for most
other countries. Not until the early 1960s, however, did the
domestic fishing industry begin to expand rapidly, receiving
increased investment in vessels, equipment, and port facilities.
Total marine products increased from 465,000 tons in 1960 to 1.14
million tons in 1970, registering an annual growth rate of 9.4
percent compared with the planned rate of 14.5 percent. The SixYear Plan target of 1.6 million tons was met in 1976, as was the
target of 3.5 million tons for the Second Seven-Year Plan in
1984. The output target for the Third Seven-Year Plan was 11
million tons by 1993, including a catch of 3 million tons of
fish. With an estimated total output of 1.5 million tons in 1990,
down from 1.6 million tons in 1989, it is highly unlikely that
the 1993 target for marine products will be met.
The major fishing grounds are in the coastal areas of the Sea
of Japan, or East Sea, to the east and the Yellow Sea to the
west. Deep-sea fishing began in earnest in the 1970s. The
principal catch from the Sea of Japan is pollack, a favorite fish
of most Koreans; sardine and squid catches also are significant.
From the west coast, yellow covina and hairtail are the most
common varieties of fish. Deep-sea catches include herring,
mackerel, pike, and yellowtail. The main fishery ports are
Sinp'o, Kimch'aek and the nearby deep-sea fishery bases of
Yanghwa and Hongwn. Most large-scale storage and canning
facilities also are located on the east coast. Besides the
fishery stations, smaller fishery cooperatives are located along
both coasts in traditional fishing centers. Aquaculture and
freshwater fishing take place on regular cooperative farms.
In order to expand marine products, the Third Seven-Year Plan
calls for modernizing the fishery industry. Specifically, the
plan urges increasing the numbers of 14,000-ton class processing
ships, 3,750-ton class stern-trawlers, and 1,000-ton and 480-ton
class fishing vessels, as well as generally increasing the size
of vessels. The government also called for widespread
introduction of modern fishing implements and rationalizing the
fishery labor system. Improvements also are slated for expanding
and modernizing the cold-storage and processing facilities in
order to facilitate speedy processing of catches. The slow
progress in state investment, combined with the shortages of oil,
are the main factors in the disappointing record of marine output
in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Data as of June 1993
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