Subscribe
E-Paper
By Lee Ji-hye
Fishermen were shocked to find hundreds of nemertean (ribbon worms) in the lower reaches of the Han River near Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday.
The harmful creatures are thought to be responsible for the death of over 90 percent of eels in the river, particularly in the areas between Haengju Bridge and Singok Weir.
"We didn't mind the ribbon worms seven to eight years ago, when there were only a few ― but now the number is getting out of hand, and they're reproducing and spreading everywhere," Park Chan-su, the leader of the Fishing Village Societies (FVS) was quoted as saying.
"It's like a disaster for us fishermen," he said, adding that some fishermen caught little to no fish over the last three days.
At about 20 to 30 centimeters long, ribbon worms are detrimental to commercial fishing, as they are carnivorous, consuming a large number of aquatic animals and are able to consume creatures much larger than themselves.
According to the FVS, the red ribbon worms were found with dead eels inside more than 210 fishing nets set up along the river.
Fishermen said the nets were mostly filled with the worms, with just one or two eels.
In response, the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute under the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said it would investigate the site where the worms were found.
This is the second investigation after West Sea Fisheries Research Institute launched a probe into the creatures back in 2013, in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and National Institute of Biological Resources.
They concluded that there were no poisonous substances inside the worms that could have caused the deaths of the eels.
"I saw with my own eyes that they had caused the deaths, and the damage to our only source of income," said fisherman Sim Hwa-sik, 60, who demanded a detailed explanation.
"We all gathered together near our fishing nets and cried ― my whole life depends on catching eels, and the damage is too much for me to handle," he said.
