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By Choi Sung-jin
After the environment ministry pointed to grilled mackerel as the main culprit of spreading fine dust in the environment, mackerel fishermen's protests are growing fiercely.
A union representing fishermen engaged in large-purse seine fishing said Friday the union has received a number of complaints from mackerel fishermen. "This is the time of year the mackerel vessels put out to sea after a period of rest," a union staff member said. "The ministry's announcement that grilled mackerel is the main culprit of fine dust has evoked a storm of protests from fishermen, however."
The environment ministry said roasting or frying food in a kitchen without proper ventilation creates a harmful level of fine dust. The amount of fine dust created per cubic meter in descending order is a fried mackerel, with 2,400 micrograms of fine dust particles, followed by a drilled pork (1,360 mg), and a fried egg (1,130 mg).
The 2,400 mg of fine dust particles per cubic meter of air created by grilling mackerel is several times that of air pollution levels rated by meteorologists as "very bad," the ministry added.
As complaints from fishermen and other people engaged in related industries escalate, the fishermen's union plans to visit the ministry to protest on Tuesday, the union official said.
"There are more than 3,000 people directly engaged in mackerel-related businesses, including 1,400 fishermen catching mackerel, and 2,000 vendors," he said. "The ministry's announcement threatens their livelihoods."
A mackerel vendor also said that although the ministry's report was aimed at the importance of ventilation during home cooking, it is inflicting huge damage on people whose livelihoods depend on this particular fish.
"The government paid no attention at all to how their announcements could destroy our right to live," he said. "The environment ministry, which has done little to reduce fine dust, was attempting to water down public criticism by turning their attention away from itself to innocent fishermen."
An expert agreed. "The ministry would change nothing if it lets thermal power plants and diesel cars push ahead with polluting the air while instead pointing its finger at mackerel fishermen," wrote Ahn Byeong-ok, an environmental activist, in his contribution to Kyunghyang Shinmun daily.
