Jindong Port, Masanhappo-gu, Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province. On the morning of the 28th of last month, fishers at a worksite of a fishing household were busy peeling the skins from mideodeok harvested at dawn, totaling 200㎏. Mr. Choi (66), who has harvested mideodeok for 30 years, said, “Production this year has increased more than two to three times compared with last year, and the product is also top grade.” However, his expression was somber. “Actual sales are far below the average year.”

Although the area around Jindong Port, which accounts for 70% of national mideodeok production, has seen a bumper harvest for the first time in three years, fishers' worries are deepening. With production forecasts missing the mark due to climate change, the region's flagship festival was canceled, and the coastal economy has recently been in a precarious state due to severe consumption contraction and surging production costs.

Mideodeok from Changwon Jindong is in season from March∼June and is a famous specialty that was selected as a leading national seafood brand in 2020. The Changwon Jindong Mideodeok Festival is a local festival themed around the regional specialty, mideodeok. It began in 2005, paused from 2020 to 2022 due to COVID-19, and resumed in 2023. However, as catches plunged because of shellfish toxins and abnormal water temperatures, it was canceled for three consecutive years from 2024 through this year.

According to the fisheries information portal of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, production of mideodeok in South Gyeongsang Province has fluctuated widely. The catch, which reached 2,690t in 2021, plummeted to 569t in 2022, then to 861t in 2023, 744t in 2024, and 136t last year. In light of this steep downward trend, the Changwon Jindong Mideodeok Festival Committee canceled this year's festival early on.

The problem is that this forecast was off. Changwon's mideodeok harvest, which was only 11t in February, surged to 119t in March, exceeding the average year. A representative from the Changwon West Fisheries Cooperative said, “Even in early March, when the decision to cancel the festival was made, production forecasts were uncertain due to the effects of high water temperatures.”

With the powerful consumer draw of a festival gone, the local mood has cooled. Mr. Ahn, a nearby restaurant owner in his 60s, said, “With no events like a festival, tourist foot traffic has dropped off.” Mr. Lim, a visitor from Busan in his 60s, also said, “I came to buy mideodeok at a low price, but perhaps because the festival is not being held, the area does not feel lively.”

Rising production costs are another burden for fishers. Mr. Seo, in his 60s, said, “Recently the price of duty-free fishing fuel has risen from 180,000 won to the 270,000-won range per drum (200ℓ),” adding, “There are no young successors, and labor costs are also rising.” Fisher Mr. Ko, in his 60s, said, “In early March, the mideodeok selling price was 25,000 won (per ㎏), but it has now fallen to 18,000 won,” adding, “As production increases and fewer people are buying, the price keeps dropping.”

As they suffer from both shrinking consumption and rising production costs, fishers say fundamental policies are needed to reduce the unpredictable variables of climate change.

Experts also warn that the climate crisis has become a constant threat rather than a temporary phenomenon. Hong Hyun-gi, a professor in the Department of Marine Life Science at Gyeongsang National University, said, “Aquaculture will become increasingly difficult due to the rapidly changing marine environment,” and “In the mid to long term, it is necessary to pursue breed improvement or shifts to alternative seafood.”