South Korea's Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to promote the introduction of ”fishing licenses” in the medium to long term... Fishing associations oppose

The Korean Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries has announced its intention to promote the mid- to long-term introduction of a "fishing license" system to protect the marine environment and fishery resources. This is the third phase of the "fishing license system" aimed at creating a sustainable fishing environment.
This content is included in the Basic Plan for Promoting Fishing (2025-2029), and also includes the gradual introduction of a catch quota system and consideration of introducing dedicated fishing vessels.
As of last year, South Korea had about 4,000 fishing boats, about 5 million annual users, and a total fishing population of 7.2 million.
This has resulted in an increase in the amount of fish caught by fishing, which has caused friction with fishermen in some areas and has led to growing calls for the need for better management of fishery resources.
Environmental pollution caused by fishing has also been pointed out as a serious problem. In the United States and Europe, fishing license systems require anglers to pay the costs of using marine resources.
The government has also imposed restrictions on the number of fish caught and requires fishermen to be responsible for fishing. Although there have been discussions about a fishing license system in South Korea since the 2000s, the introduction of the system has been postponed many times due to strong opposition from fishing groups.
Cho Il-hwan, a fisheries policy officer at the ministry, told South Korean media outlet Yonhap News, "We have tried to introduce it many times in the past, but we faced strong opposition, so we decided not to introduce it.
"This is an issue that should be carefully considered," he said. He also expressed his recognition that "it is not something that can be realized in a short period of time, and that social discussion is necessary."
The policy official said that in the United States and Europe, where fishing licenses are in place, fishing licenses are also allocated to fishermen.
He pointed out that a system that allows only a set amount of fishing (quota) is also in operation at the same time, and that the introduction of fishing licenses in Korea is an issue closely related to the establishment of the total allowable catch (TAC) system.
He explains that: