Revival of the 400-year-old "landlord seaweed farming" in Gochang

A 400-year-old tradition of seaweed farming in Gochang is set to resume. Gochang County recently completed the "limited license allocation for seaweed farming" for 43 fishing boats (around 150 people) in the Manwol Fishermen's Association, and announced that seaweed farming operations will restart in mid-October. With this measure, the seaweed farming industry in Gochang, which was suspended last September due to the end of compensation for the Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant's warm water discharge, will return to normal after one year. The farming area is 200 hectares in the Shimwon Mandal area, an expansion of 46 hectares from the previous 154 hectares. Seaweed farming in Gochang has been a traditional fishery since 1623, and became widespread in the Mandal area from the late 1970s. It produces 600 tons of seaweed annually, generating an economic effect of 7 billion won, including sales from processing factories. However, the suspension of fishing last year due to the end of ...