In-season oysters selling fast in South Korea
- 5 years ago
With the colder weather now,... the shipment of oysters from Korea's southern coast has begun in earnest.
However, since downpours were especially intense in Korea this summer,... local fishermen say the oysters are bigger than usual and there are more of them.
Our Choi Jeong-yoon tells us more.
With winter approaching, the fishing community in Korea's southern city of Tongyeong in Gyeongsangnam-do Province is starting to get busy.
A fisherman pulls clusters of oysters attached to buoys from the sea.
With a suitable environment for the oysters to grow, this year's oysters are bigger than ever.
" Since we had a lot of rain in the summer, nutrients from the land allowed for bountiful food in ocean, meaning these oysters are especially large."
As workers hustle to remove the oysters from their shells, the healthy size of the day's catch becomes apparent.
"About 60 people are busy shucking oysters day and night."
At a market where goods are sold on consignment, the first auction for the newly harvested oysters begins.
As this is the end point of a month's wait, buyers fight to get the best quality oysters for the best possible price.
Eighty tons of oysters are sold in the market before the day is out.
However, prices are around 20 percent lower than last year, coming to roughly 54 U.S. dollars per 10 kilogram box.
The fishing community is slightly concerned about the lower prices as a large amount of high-quality oysters are expected to be produced this year.
"We are not worried about the quality or the supply this year. But it will be hard to maintain the usual price if the supply is too great."
Korea's southern coast oysters account for 70 percent of the domestic oyster market, producing 40,000 tons a year.
Choi Jeong-yoon, Arirang News.
However, since downpours were especially intense in Korea this summer,... local fishermen say the oysters are bigger than usual and there are more of them.
Our Choi Jeong-yoon tells us more.
With winter approaching, the fishing community in Korea's southern city of Tongyeong in Gyeongsangnam-do Province is starting to get busy.
A fisherman pulls clusters of oysters attached to buoys from the sea.
With a suitable environment for the oysters to grow, this year's oysters are bigger than ever.
" Since we had a lot of rain in the summer, nutrients from the land allowed for bountiful food in ocean, meaning these oysters are especially large."
As workers hustle to remove the oysters from their shells, the healthy size of the day's catch becomes apparent.
"About 60 people are busy shucking oysters day and night."
At a market where goods are sold on consignment, the first auction for the newly harvested oysters begins.
As this is the end point of a month's wait, buyers fight to get the best quality oysters for the best possible price.
Eighty tons of oysters are sold in the market before the day is out.
However, prices are around 20 percent lower than last year, coming to roughly 54 U.S. dollars per 10 kilogram box.
The fishing community is slightly concerned about the lower prices as a large amount of high-quality oysters are expected to be produced this year.
"We are not worried about the quality or the supply this year. But it will be hard to maintain the usual price if the supply is too great."
Korea's southern coast oysters account for 70 percent of the domestic oyster market, producing 40,000 tons a year.
Choi Jeong-yoon, Arirang News.