South Korea sets annual catch limit for croaker, expands quota system to 19 species

South Korea will impose an annual catch limit on croaker starting Wednesday, as the government expands its total allowable catch system to more species and fishery types.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced Tuesday that it has finalized the "2026–2027 fishing season TAC implementation plan," which broadens the scope of the total allowable catch (TAC) system.

The TAC system is a fisheries resource management regime that sets annual catch limits by species and requires fishing operations to stay within those limits.

Under the new plan, TAC coverage expands from 18 species and 21 fishery types to 19 species and 23 fishery types. The total allowable catch has been set at 623,079 metric tons.

Croaker is the newly added species, with the limit applying to large trawl fisheries operating in waters off Busan and South Gyeongsang Province. Two fishery types have also been added: southwest-sea single-boat medium bottom trawl fisheries and fixed-net fisheries. Fixed-net fishing tends to catch a wide variety of species simultaneously, so a total-volume TAC approach will be applied for the first time, managing overall catch rather than setting limits by individual species.

Management will also be tightened for species already covered by the system. The TAC for squid will be extended to large single-boat bottom trawl fisheries, while the limit for yellow croaker will be expanded to include large trawl fisheries.

Blue crab and red snow crab will shift from fishery-type-based total quota management to a vessel-by-vessel allocation system. Anchovy, squid and hairtail will be upgraded to a three-tier management framework under which individual vessels receive TAC allocations and face sanctions for exceeding them.

The plan also introduces some improvements to the system. Mackerel and frigate mackerel will be consolidated and managed together as a single "mackerel" category, while horse mackerel and top shell will be brought under a multi-year TAC scheme, allowing more flexible responses to fluctuations in catch volumes.

Building on the Sustainable Coastal and Offshore Fisheries Development Act enacted June 16, the government plans to accumulate three years of catch data starting next year before expanding TAC to all coastal and offshore fisheries from July 2030. The aim is to establish an output-based resource management system and gradually streamline complex regulations.

"We plan to boldly overhaul existing regulations based on accurate coastal and offshore fisheries data," said Choe Hyeon-ho, director general for fisheries policy at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. "We will continue to expand TAC, ensure it takes stable root on the ground, and strengthen the competitiveness of South Korea's fishing industry."