The United States enforces the seafood import regulations so-called the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), and by 2023, all exports of aquatic products and processed fish products by fisheries which have not obtained an “Comparability Finding” from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will be completely banned. Therefore, to respond to the US MMPA, it is critical to identify technologies and methods used in worldwide for reducing bycatch of marine mammals. In particular, marine mammals are frequently caught in five fisheries (trawl, gill net, trap, stow net and set net) in Korea, which is facing a great challenge. This study presented bycatch reduction methods by five fisheries, classified the methods by country, and suggested appropriate reduction methods which can be applied in Korea.

In this study, for the purpose of reducing the catch of small giant octopus in a net pot, an escape experiment of octopus was performed on five types of escape rings of different sizes. As a result of the experiment, the smallest giant octopus with a weight of 406 g was found to escape from an escape ring with a diameter of 30 mm or larger, and 592 g octopus, a weight similar to the octopus of the current minimum landing weight (600 g), escaped from an escape ring with a diameter of larger than 40 mm. An individual weight with 406 g becomes 39 mm when converted from a diameter of 25 mm circular escape vent; that is, the circumference to the inner diameter of the mesh. It can be inferred that the converted mesh size of 39 mm cannot escape. Logistic regression analysis was performed using a generalized linear model (GLM) to investigate the correlation between the ratio of escape ring size/Mantle diameter (R/MD) and the escape rate. As a result, it was found that there was a significant correlation between the R/MD ratio and the escape rate and that the higher the R/MD ratio, the greater the escape rate. As a result of logistic regression analysis, the R/MD value was denoted 0.520 with the 50% escape rate. In addition, it can be estimated to be about 50 mm when converted to the mesh size. Therefore, in this study, the diameter of the escape ring and the size of the escape possible of the octopus were experimentally considered. It was found that there was a significant correlation.

Fisheries is known as a high-risk industry in Korea, and various efforts have been made to reduce occupational accidents. Trap fisheries represent crustacean production, accounting for 4.7% of total fisheries production and 10.7% of its production value, which is classified as a relatively high-risk industry. With the disaster insurance payment data of the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives (NFFC) from 2016 to 2020, the accident rate of the entire fishery, the accident rate of trap fisheries, and the type of disasters in the past five years were analyzed. As a result, the average fishery accident rate for the past five years was 5.31%, but it was high at 6.15% for coastal trap fisheries and 5.59% for offshore trap fisheries. Slips and trips, struck by objects and contact with machinery were the most common types of the accident according to the characteristics of the work, and hand injuries were analyzed the most. Additional efforts, including education for accident prevention, development of personal protective equipment and improvement of the working environment, are needed to prevent accidents caused by repeated types of disasters.

In this study, the fishery status of the octopus pot fishery in the east coastal sea were investigated, and the fishing performance of each pot shape was compared and analyzed. The fishery status survey was conducted through listening surveys at Jukbyeon Port, Uljin Port and Pohang Daebo Port in Gyeongbuk Province, and the amount of fishing gear used, fishing method, size and loss of octopus pot fishery was investigated. On the east coastal sea, octopus is one of the commercially important fish stocks and is caught in inshore pots, inshore combos, inshore gillnets and offshore pots. Among these fishing methods, pot fishing yields the highest catch. The shape of the pot differs depending on the region. In Uljin (Jukbyeon Port and Hupo Port), Gyeongbuk, rectangular type net pots are mainly used, and in Pohang (Daebo Port) in Gyeongbuk, drum-type pots are mostly used. Enteroctopus dofleini accounts for more than 90% of the catch of octopus. For the octopus fishing performance test by trap type, three types of traps (rectangular pot, drum pot and cylinder pot) were used on the coastal sea of Pohang Daebo. As a result, the total catch by pot shape was shown in the order of rectangular-type pot > drum-type pot > cylinder-type pot. The catch of octopus, the target species, was in the following order: rectangular-type pot > drum-type pot > cylinder-type pot. Such result shows a significant difference (Mann-Whitney test, p<0.05).

최근까지 우리나라 연근해어업에 있어서 불법어업은 대부분의 업종에서 매 우 다양하게 지속적으로 발생되고 있다. 이러한 불법어업의 유형 중에서도 조업중 수산관계법령상 어업규제 조치를 위반하는 통발어업, 문어단지어업, 자망 어업 등 정치성·부설형어업의 경우 문제가 되는 것이 폐어구를 많이 발생시키 고 있다는 것이다. 특히 통발어업이나 문어단지어업은 거의 대부분 어업규제 조치를 위반한 불법어업으로 유실어구를 많이 발생시키고 있다. 이렇게 발생되 는 폐어구는 연약한 해양생태계 환경을 파괴하고 유령어업을 유발시켜 수산자 원 감소로 이어지고 있기 때문에 수산자원의 보호ㆍ관리 측면에서도 많은 문제 가 있고, 연간 어획량의 10%인 약 3,800억원의 수산업 피해가 발생되고 있다는 점이다. 또한, 어구용 스티로폼, 플라스틱, 나일론 그물망 등으로 제조된 폐어구가 바 다에 장시간 방치될 경우 미세플라스틱이 발생된다. 이를 해양생물들이 섭취하 고 결국 우리의 식탁에 오르게 되면, 인체에 매우 유해한 물질을 최종적으로 인간이 섭취하게 된다. 이런 사유로 세계식량농업기구, 유엔환경계획 등 국제 기구를 비롯한 어업 선진국에서는 해양생태계 환경 오염, 유령어업으로 유발되 어 수산자원 감소로 이어지고 있는 폐어구 발생 저감을 위한 적극적인 관리대 책을 강구하고 있다. 본 연구는 불법어업으로 폐어구를 발생시켜 해양생태계 오염 및 유령어업을 유발함으로써 수산자원을 감소시키고 있는 통발어업과 문어단지어업에 대한 어업규제 위반행위를 근절시킴으로써 폐어구 발생 저감을 위한 방안을 모색하 였다. 따라서 현행 어업규제 관련 법령을 검토, 그 문제점을 고찰하여 폐어구 발생 저감을 위한 법적 개선방안을 제시하고자 한다.

연안통발 어민에 대한 설문조사 결과, 통발 투하 및 인양 중 로프 걸림에 따른 전도사고가 42.1 %로 가장 높았고, 갑판에서 미 끄러짐과 통발 권양장치의 신체 협착사고가 각각 21.1 %를 차지하였다. 또한 가장 위험한 작업은 전체 조사대상의 53.2 %가 통발 인양과 정을 들었고, 어종선별 33.8 %, 통발 투하 9.1 % 순으로 응답하였다. 어민들은 통발 권양장치의 주요 개선 요구사항으로 응답자의 36.8 %와 31.6 %가 통발을 수중에서 작업갑판까지 수월하게 인양하는 방안과 통발 인양 시 로프 장력 극복과 슬립 방지 등 사고저감 방안을 언급하 였다. 본 연구에서 소형 통발어선 권양장치는 구동롤러와 로프 간의 적정한 접촉각을 통해 로프의 접촉면적과 마찰계수를 증가시킴으로 써 권양력을 높이는 것이다. 구동롤러와 로프 간의 접촉각이 1°, 5°, 9°, 14° 및 19°일 때 로프 장력은 각각의 접촉각에 따라 차이를 보였으 며, 9°일 때 가장 높은 392.62 kgf까지 측정되었다. 이러한 실험결과를 반영하여 시제품 권양장치를 제작하고 총 길이가 100 m인 로프에 4 m 간격으로 총 25개의 통발을 해상에 설치한 후 인양에 따른 로프 장력을 측정하였다. 그 결과, 로프 장력은 통발 인양작업 초기에 급격히 증가하여 가장 높은 31.89 kgf로 측정되었으며, 이후에는 크게 낮아졌다. 따라서 소형 통발어선 권양장치의 권양력은 인양작업 초기에 부 여되는 최대 로프 장력 값을 기준으로 설계하는 것이 타당하다.

In this study, factors such as improvement of a fishing process and safety, reduction of the labor force and headcount and development of the automation technology for offshore (eel and crab) pot fishing vessels were analyzed. A questionnaire survey was conducted to analyze and select the key factors using independent/paired sample t-test and correlation analysis, and a living lab was operated with ship owners, skippers and experts to discuss practical needs of the site. From the result of questionnaire survey and field requirements, it was possible to understand the level of awareness of ship safety, general safety equipment, fishing work process and fishing safety equipment from the point of view of the field. In addition, there were differences in the measurement results of each items because the working environment and experience were different according to the position of the ship owner and the skipper. The results of the questionnaire survey and various perceptions of field stakeholders were reflected when analyzing the fishing system and fishing process to choose the development equipment applicable to the field. From the analysis results, the selected development equipment based on the fishing equipment and process currently in operation are pot washing device, catch separation and fish hold injection device, length limit regulations and bait ejection device after use, automatic main line winding device, bait crusher, automatic (crab) pot hauling separator and so on.

This study was conducted to evaluate the performance of the octopus pot according to mesh sizes. Entering behavior of Octopus minor and bait (Macrophthalmus japonicus) escape rate on the mesh sizes of the pots were investigated for six times in indoor tank. The sea trials for evaluating the performance of Octopus minor pot to different mesh sizes (22, 20 and 18 mm) were conducted for six times from 2017 to 2018 in the coastal sea of Deukyang Bay, the Republic of Korea. Behavior patterns of contact pot to leaved pot were more frequent than contact pot to bait search. When the octopus contacted to the pot, there was no clear search behavior to distinguish the mesh sizes. Total catch of 46% was accounted for 18 mm pots, followed by 34% at 20 mm and 20% at 22 mm (P < 0.05). Catch per unit effort was calculated as 30 g/pot at 22 mm, 44 g/pot at 20 mm and 59 g/pot at 18 mm. As a result of evaluating 50% selection of mantle length and weight on the mesh sizes, mantle length (mm) and weight (g) were 84.6 and 147.8 in 22 mm, followed by 20 and 18 mm.

In order to replace sardine baits for octopus pot, an efficacy experiment to lure with alternative bait (fermented skate or chicken skin in artificial crab or northern clam) pots and sardine pot were conducted in a circular water tank. The soaking time of the sardine bait was divided into two categories: six days or less and seven days or more. The behavioral response of octopus to the artificial bait pots and sardine pot were investigated. In the comparison of the luring effects between pots with fermented skate inside artificial crab or northern clam and sardine pot, the pot with artificial crab + fermented skate had better results than the other pots in the section distribution (31.6%) and the number of times the pot was entered into (20.0%) (p > 0.05). In the comparison of the luring effects between pots with chicken skin inside artificial crab or northern clam and sardine pot, the pot with northern clam + chicken skin had better results than the other pots in the section distribution (22.6%) and number of times the pot was entered into (55.6%) (p < 0.05). The results were also better compared to those of pot with artificial crab + fermented skate. From these results, it seems that in the luring effect aspect, sardine bait can be replaced with artificial bait consisting of chicken skin inside northern clam.

The mesh selectivity of a drum shaped pot for finely-striate buccinum (Buccinum striatissimum) was conducted a total of eight times with four different mesh sizes (22, 35, 50 and 60 mm) from May to September, 2019 in the eastern coastal waters of Korea. The size selectivity analysis was estimated by the SELECT method to express logistic selectivity curves. In the results, the catch of finely-striate buccinum was occupied about 90% in the total catch weight. The equation of the master curve of selectivity was estimated to s(R) = exp(-7.778R+9.983)/[1+exp(-7.778R+9.983)]. The relative shell height of 50% selection was 1.284 and the selection range (SR) was 0.282. The optimal mesh size for 50% selection on the minimum maturation size (75 mm, Shell height) was estimated more than 60 mm by the master selectivity curve.