A study on distribution and fluctuation of the fishing grounds of Chionoecetes japonicus by the offshore trap fishery in the East Sea

This study analyzed the catch data of Chionoecetes japonicus in the offshore trap fishery from 2009 to 2022 to investigate the spatial distribution changes of fishing grounds in the East Sea. The results showed that the center of the fishing grounds consistently shifted offshore and northward from 2009 to 2020, but moved back towards the coastal areas since 2020. When comparing the catch of C. japonicus from the offshore trap fishery between 2009-2015 and 2016-2022, statistically significant differences were found (p<0.01). Analysis of the center of the fishing grounds revealed that they gradually shifted offshore while the fishing grounds were initially concentrated in the coastal areas of the East Sea. This suggests that the center of the fishing grounds moved offshore and northward as the C. japonicus in the coastal fishing grounds decreased. The shift of the fishing grounds back towards the coastal areas since 2020 is attributed to the increased operational costs due to the soaring fuel prices and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a decline in consumer demand for live seafood consumed in restaurants. Consequently, the offshore trap fishery for C. japonicus shifted their focus from offshore areas, which required higher operational costs due to increased fuel consumption and longer fishing times, to coastal areas, that were relatively less costly. This study is the first scientific results of its kind to investigate the formation of fishing grounds and annual changes in the fishing grounds of C. japonicus caught in offshore trap fishery in the East Sea from 2009 to 2022.