Squid is disappearing from our tables
Homemade ojinggeo-bokkeum (spicy stir-fried squid), ojingeo-hoe (sliced raw squid) by the sea, ojingeo sundae (stuffed squid) and fritters at our favorite local markets.
Petition
Stop Illegal Squid Fishing
Our squid is disappearing. Only a transparent distribution system can protect our dinner tables.
1,312 signatures. Let’s get to 3K
These familiar tastes may soon exist only as memories.
Before it’s too late, help us protect our seas—and our tables. If we don’t act now, our squid will not return.
Where does the squid we eat actually come from?
Most of the squid on Korean plates is imported, with no clear record of where or how it was caught. This lack of transparency leads to the following critical issues:
The brutal toll on endangered species
Sharks are caught only for their fins. Dolphins are used as bait. Protected species such as sea turtles and whale sharks, are dying alongside the catch.
Indiscriminate fishing that strips our seas bare
Unaccountable fishing–where no one knows who is catching what, or how much–is destroying entire marine ecosystems. Some animals are killed as trophies, hunted for display.
Inhumane labor exploitation
The crews aboard these vessels have their passports confiscated and are held under conditions of violence and intimidation, unable to return home to their families. At least 23 deaths have been documented to date.
Korean consumers have the right to know that the seafood they purchase is legal, safe, and responsibly sourced.
The reality in numbers
Of global squid catches come from unregulated high seas
This means a significant share of the squid we consume comes from these unregulated waters.
Source: Science Advances (March 2023)
Decline in East Coast squid catch (2020→2024)
Source: National Institute of Fisheries Science;Gangwon Province (July 2025)
Rise in fresh squid retail prices (2024→2025)
Source: Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT), KAMIS (February 2025)
Squid with unknown origins is not some distant problem happening far out at sea.
A fisher shows the injuries sustained by having to work for long hours in the vessel’s freezer, resulting in severe frostbite and the loss of several fingers.
– A fisherman on a Chinese deep-sea squid fishing vessel (EJF interview, 2025)
A vessel that never comes to port is a vessel that answers to no one. No inspections. No verification.
For all those months at sea, moving from one fishing ground to the next — there is no way for consumers to know where that squid has been, or whether it was legally caught in the first place.
And yet squid with no traceable origin is landing on our dinner tables every single day, as if this were perfectly normal.
Why is this happening?
Illegal squid entering the market
Illegal squid caught in unknown places, by unknown methods, is taking over the domestic market.
Distribution channels with no real verification
Imported squid passes through multiple countries before reaching Korea. The current verification system cannot guarantee it was caught legally.
Legal blind spots
On the high seas, there are effectively no limits on how much can be caught, and seafood can be routed through other countries to change its origin. This is how illegal squid ends up on our tables disguised as legal, putting both consumers and law-abiding fishers at risk.
If we do not stop this now, this will become a reality
While we look away, both our seas and our tables are collapsing.
The everyday table
Squid becomes a luxury food ordinary families can no longer afford.
Consumer safety
No one knows where the squid on our family dinner table actually comes from.
Weekend fishing
There will be no squid left to catch. The familiar fishing scenes along our coast will disappear.
Fishers’ livelihoods
Honest fishers who’ve played by the rules are forced to give up their livelihoods, pushed out by illegally caught imports.
Three things that can no longer be delayed
Strengthen traceability standards for imported squid Establish a transparent system that allows consumers to verify exactly where and how every squid on their table was caught. These standards already apply to other seafood. Squid should be no exception.
Eliminate the circulation of illegally caught seafood Ensure that only legally and responsibly caught squid can enter the Korean domestic market through strict verification.
Guarantee transparent information for consumers Establish legal standards requiring imported seafood packaging to clearly show country of origin, catch method, and distribution history.
Your signature protects our seas and our dinner tables
It begins with a question: where did the squid I’m buying at the market today actually come from, and why has it become so expensive?
Sign now. Your voice changes policy.
