Squid season has returned to the waters off Sokcho as the fishing moratorium has been lifted, but consumers face growing burdens as coastal catches have halved over four years and prices have climbed more than 40%.
The average price of a medium-sized fresh coastal squid reached 7,932 won this year, according to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation's (aT) agricultural and fisheries distribution information system KAMIS on Monday. This marks an increase of more than 40% from 5,659 won in 2022.
In coastal areas along the East Sea including Sokcho, squid stalls typically open and markets come alive when the fishing ban ends each year around this time, but local merchants commonly report that supply this year falls short of previous years. At large supermarkets and traditional markets, imported frozen squid and deep-sea catches are supplementing supply, making the price surge less noticeable, but domestic coastal squid is becoming increasingly difficult to find.
The decline in production is reflected in the data. According to fishery production trends on the Korean Statistical Information Service, coastal squid production fell from 60,851 tons in 2021 to 30,976 tons in 2025, halving in four years. Volume secured through deep-sea fishing also declined from 68,301 tons to 53,595 tons during the same period.
Climate change is the key cause of the decline. As East Sea water temperatures have steadily risen, the habitat of squid, a warm-current species, has shifted northward and schools have dispersed, significantly reducing fishing efficiency. Some also point out that large-scale operations by Chinese fishing vessels in North Korean waters are reducing catch opportunities for domestic fishermen.
As the supply crisis deepens, the government has stepped in directly. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries has decided to expand deep-sea fishing permits in the Southwest Atlantic east of Brazil and Argentina (FAO Area 41) to secure an additional 8,000 tons annually. The conditions allow deep-sea fishing regardless of company size, with all secured volume to be brought into the domestic market. Even large deep-sea vessels used for pollock fishing have been urgently deployed to South American waters.
However, short-term price stability is unlikely. Experts say it will take time for deep-sea volumes to be reflected in the domestic market, and coastal catch recovery remains distant unless the structural cause of rising sea temperatures is resolved. The consumer price inflation rate for fishery products stands at 4.9%, more than double the overall consumer price inflation rate of 2.1%.
