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| 332 illegally caught female snow crabs at scene |
On April 15, the Pohang Coast Guard in North Gyeongsang Province announced that it had arrested 12 Vietnamese crew members for illegally catching and distributing protected female snow crabs—a violation of Korea's Fisheries Resource Management Act. Among them, a man in his 30s, identified as Mr. A, was formally charged and detained as the ringleader.
🦀 What Happened?
According to investigators, Mr. A received a total of 2,754 female snow crabs from 11 Vietnamese crew members between February and March 2025. These crabs were caught as bycatch during regular fishing activities but were illegally withheld, hidden on board without the captain’s knowledge, and later handed over to Mr. A under cover of night.
Mr. A then sold the crabs nationwide using social media platforms, targeting foreign communities living in Korea.
🚨 The Arrest
The Coast Guard was alerted on March 14 when a citizen spotted a man packing crabs into boxes near a coastal area in southern Pohang. Authorities responded swiftly and caught Mr. A in the act, confiscating 332 illegally caught female snow crabs at the scene.
Upon further investigation, phone and bank records revealed a premeditated and organized smuggling operation involving multiple transactions. The group had used five local crab-fishing boats, assigning 2–4 Vietnamese crew members to each, who would hide the illegal catch until docking.
⚖️ Legal Consequences
Under the Korean Fisheries Resource Management Act, catching, distributing, storing, or selling female snow crabs is strictly prohibited year-round. Violators can face up to two years in prison or a fine of up to 20 million KRW (approx. $15,000).
- Female snow crabs are critical to marine ecosystem preservation.
- Each female can lay between 40,000–70,000 eggs per spawn, contributing hundreds of thousands over its 15–20 year lifespan.
- Snow crab fishing is also banned during spawning season, from June to November.
🕵️ Ongoing Investigation
Although the suspects initially claimed they were unaware of the law, evidence later confirmed they had been intentionally concealing the crabs and coordinating with middlemen, many of whom are also believed to be Vietnamese nationals. Mr. A and his accomplices sold the crabs for 4,000–6,000 KRW per crab, completing 11 separate transactions.
The Pohang Coast Guard is now expanding the investigation to track down other foreign intermediaries possibly involved in this illegal snow crab trafficking network.
“We are currently tracing additional middlemen of foreign nationality and believe there may be more individuals involved in similar illegal activities,” said an official from the Pohang Coast Guard.
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| An Illegally Caught Female Snow Crab |
📚 Learn Korean Through This News
Korean Text:
"경북 포항해양경찰서는 연중 포획이 금지된 암컷대게를 잡아 유통한 혐의(수산자원관리법 위반)로 베트남 국적 선원 12명을 검거해 이 가운데 A씨를 구속송치했다고 15일 밝혔다."
Key Vocabulary:
- 포항해양경찰서 (Po-hang hae-yang gyeong-chal-seo) – Pohang Maritime Police Station
- 연중 (yeon-jung) – year-round
- 포획 (po-hoek) – capture / catch
- 금지되다 (geum-ji-dwe-da) – to be prohibited
- 암컷대게 (am-keot dae-ge) – female snow crab
- 유통하다 (yu-tong-ha-da) – to distribute
- 혐의 (hyeom-ui) – suspicion / charge (of a crime)
- 수산자원관리법 (su-san ja-won gwan-ri-beop) – Fisheries Resource Management Act
- 국적 (guk-jeok) – nationality
- 선원 (seon-won) – crew member / sailor
- 검거하다 (geom-geo-ha-da) – to arrest / apprehend
- 구속송치하다 (gu-sok-song-chi-ha-da) – to detain and transfer for prosecution
- 밝히다 (bal-ki-da) – to state / to announce
Grammar Notes:
- A를 잡아 B한 혐의로 → 암컷대게를 잡아 유통한 혐의로: on suspicion of doing A and then doing B" (often used in legal news).
- ~이/가 금지되다 → 포획이 금지된: The catching is prohibited.
- N(으)로 N을/를 검거하다 → 수산자원관리법 위반으로 검거하다: To arrest someone for violating (a specific law).
- A는 B했다고 밝혔다: A stated/announced that B.
Language Insight:
- 암컷대게 (female snow crabs) are protected under Korean law because they are essential for reproduction and maintaining the species.
- 검거 and 구속송치 are very formal/legal terms and appear frequently in police press releases.
Translation:
"The Pohang Maritime Police announced on the 15th that they arrested 12 Vietnamese crew members on charges of catching and distributing female snow crabs, whose capture is prohibited year-round under the Fisheries Resource Management Act, and referred one of them, Mr. A, for detention and prosecution."