Many fishermen in South Korea die at sea. The sea is becoming more dangerous every year. People ask: Is climate change the reason?
Mr. Hong is a boat owner on Jeju Island. One day, his fishing boat went out to sea. The weather changed quickly. Strong waves hit the boat. The boat turned over and sank. Five fishermen died. Mr. Hong said, “It felt like the sky was falling.”
The Weather Is Changing
The weather in South Korea is not the same now. It is windier and more dangerous. The sea temperature is rising. It became 1.58°C warmer since 1968. This is more than the world average. Hotter water brings more storms and strong winds. Boats sink more often.
Fish are leaving the Korean seas. They move to deeper and colder water. Mr. Kim, another fisherman, says, “The hairtail fish are gone. We must go far to catch them.” He and his team sometimes sail near Taiwan. It is very risky and costs a lot of money.
Small Boats, Big Danger
Professor Gug Seung-gi studied the accidents. He says, “The sea has more strong winds now.” Small boats cannot fight big waves. Many boats sink before they return to land.
Captain Park fishes for anchovies. He worked for 25 years. But now, he catches jellyfish instead of fish. He says, “We filled 100 baskets before.
Now we fill only two.” The fish are gone, and his income is small. He feels sad because he loves his job.
An Aging Industry
Many fishermen are old. Almost half are over 65 years old.
Few young people want this job. Foreign workers from Vietnam and Indonesia help. But many do not know safety rules. Some cannot understand Korean well. This makes fishing more dangerous.
The government wants to help. They ask fishermen to wear life jackets. Boats must have safety ladders. Foreign workers must get training. Fishermen will also get faster weather updates. Some towns pay people to catch jellyfish to clean the sea.
Experts say fish will become fewer by 2100. If the Earth keeps getting hotter, South Korea may lose one-third of its fish. Captain Park says, “Fishing was beautiful. Now it is just hard work.” He wants to save the sea for the next generation.
Source: bbc.com
Vocabulary for the Article
Fisherman – a person who catches fish.
Many fishermen work on the sea every day.
Boat – a small ship used on water.
The boat goes out early in the morning.
Dangerous – not safe.
The sea is dangerous in bad weather.
Wave – water that moves up and down.
A big wave hit the boat.
Storm – strong wind and rain.
A storm came during the night.
Climate change – long-term change in weather.
Climate change makes the sea hotter.
Temperature – how hot or cold something is.
The sea temperature is rising every year.
Wind – moving air.
The wind is very strong today.
Crew – people who work on a boat.
The crew is ready to sail.
Sink – to go under water.
The boat sank after a big wave.
Catch – to get or take something.
They catch fish every day.
Safe – not in danger.
Fishermen wear jackets to stay safe.
Jellyfish – a soft sea animal.
We saw a jellyfish in the sea.
Risk – a chance of danger.
Fishing has many risks.
Old – not young.
Many fishermen are old now.
Foreign – from another country.
Many foreign workers help on fishing boats.
Help – to give support.
Foreign workers help the crew every day.
Work – to do a job.
The fishermen work from morning to night.
Future – the time that has not come yet.
We hope for a better future.
Sea – a large area of salt water.
The sea is calm today.
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