Endangered Level 1 Triton Shell, Sold in seafood restaurants…'No Investigation for a Year'

The critically endangered level 1 Triton shell is being sold in local seafood restaurants on Ulleungdo. It has raised concerns about the inadequate management of endangered species by the authorities.

The office of Representative Lee Eun-joo and the citizens' group 'Citizens for Protecting National Parks' conducted a local investigation on Ulleungdo on September 2nd after receiving a tip-off. The investigation revealed that the Triton shell, was being illegally sold in three seafood restaurants in Ulleungdo's squid town.

According to information obtained through interviews with residents by Representative Lee Eun-joo's office, it was confirmed that most of the Triton shells were either being sold or stored in restaurants. The Triton shell is a marine protected species and classified as critically endangered level 1, but it was being treated as just another catch for seafood here.

Triton shells were often caught together during the fishing of edible gastropoda such as murex and horned turbans, or mixed with similar-looking gastropoda and distributed as edible seafood.

The suspicion that Triton shells are being illegally distributed and sold on Ulleungdo was raised when they were featured in a preview of the MBC variety program "I Live Alone" on August 25th. The controversy erupted in online communities from an aquarium at a seafood restaurant on Ulleungdo showed Triton shells being lifted by hand.

An official from Representative Lee Eun-joo's office said in a conversation with <News Penguin>, "A citizen who saw the trailer for 'I Live Alone' reported that they found Triton shells in the same seafood restaurant when they visited Ulleungdo recently. In the end, it is not clear whether Triton shells are endangered species, such issues continue to occur. The government should conduct a complete enumeration to understand how endangered species are actually caught and sold."

The Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries had planned to strengthen promotion and guidance to prevent the bycatch and distribution of Triton shells through a joint protection plan announced in July last year. As a result of Representative Lee Eun-joo's review of data submitted by the Ministry of Environment, no complete enumeration was conducted nationwide to confirm cases of Triton shell bycatch and distribution after the announcement of the protection measures.

The Daegu Regional Environmental Office, which is in charge of Ulleungdo, had not conducted any activities for over a year, but they began an on-site investigation for the first time on September 13th following a complaint to the national public complaint center.

Representative Lee Eun-joo said, "Even the Ministry of Environment and local environmental offices, which are supposed to protect and manage endangered species, are laxly managing endangered level 1 wildlife. What about the rest of the species? The Ministry of Environment should reevaluate the marine national protected species's protection plan and implement measures with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries before the species become extinct."

According to the 'Act on the Conservation and Management of Wildlife', those who process, distribute, store, export, import, take out, bring in endangered wildlife level 1 without permission can face imprisonment for up to three years or a fine of up to 30 million won. For capturing, collecting, damaging, killing will result in imprisonment for up to five years or a fine of up to 50 million won.