NIFS announced that it is going to provide citizens with information on the big sharks found in East Sea waters by collecting and analyzing the animals' biological and ecological information as well as their distribution status.

Shark is a species with potential to threaten marine safety depending on the types. As shark sightings increased in Korean waters, it drew much public's attention.

In 2023, the number of reports of big sharks found or bycaught in East Sea waters was 29, the drastic hike compared to one in 2022. In particular, the 14 bycatch reports indicated that they were aggressive sharks enough to attack fishermen or beach-goers.

*The number of reports : ‘22 (1) → ‘23 (29)     *Bycatch reports (14) : Mako shark (7), Salmon shark (5), Great white shark (1), Blue shark (1)

NIFS sees the large amount influx of mackerel and yellowtail (feed for sharks) into East Sea as a main cause of the surge in sharks emergence last year. 

Given the lack of ecological information on sharks, further research is required to identify clear causes. 

Against the backdrop, NIFS set an emergency budget to identify main food source and status of big sharks, and plans to analyze the ecological characteristics, including spawning and maturity of sharks inhabiting in East Sea.

In 2023, to establish the fundamental information on sharks emerging in Korean waters, NIFS published 'Pictorial Guidebook to Sharks of Korean Coastal Waters' with Kunsan National University (KSNU), and released it on its official website.