A 7.3-meter minke whale was accidentally caught in a fishing net off Bangeojin Port in Ulsan's Dong-gu district.
According to the Ulsan Coast Guard on the 25th, the captain of a fishing boat, identified as A, in his 60s, was operating 37 kilometers southeast of Bangeojin Port around 7:30 p.m. the previous day when he discovered a minke whale caught while hauling up his net. He reported it to the Bangeojin Police Substation.
The bycatch whale was confirmed to be a male measuring 7.3 meters in length, 3 meters in girth, and weighing approximately 3.2 tons. After conducting inspections including metal detection, the Coast Guard determined there were no signs of illegal capture such as harpoon or spear marks, and issued A a whale disposal confirmation certificate. The whale was sold for 71 million won at the Bangeojin Fisheries Cooperative auction market.
Under related laws including the Fisheries Act, illegally capturing a whale is subject to up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won. However, minke whales found dead after being caught in nets are not designated as marine protected species, so they can be sold at auction. Such whales frequently fetch large sums, earning them the nickname "lottery of the sea." According to data received by the National Assembly's Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee from the Korea Coast Guard, 328 minke whales were caught as bycatch in Korea from 2019 to June 2024, with an average transaction price of 46.71 million won per whale and a peak price of 177.3 million won. This transaction price was close to that average.
Since minke whales are not classified as marine protected species, consignment sales through fisheries cooperatives are possible with only the Coast Guard's disposal confirmation certificate. On the other hand, if a whale is found stranded or drifting rather than caught as bycatch, its distribution and sale are prohibited under the notification on the conservation and management of whale resources, and it must undergo disposal procedures.
