<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center se-image-banner" contenteditable="false"><figure style="margin: auto;"><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/en-naraspace-chosunBiz-banner.png" alt="" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="," data-percentage="auto,auto" data-file-name="en-naraspace-chosunBiz-banner.png" data-file-size="0" data-origin="," data-index="0"></figure> </div><p><br></p><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center"><figure style="width: 600px;"><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/45/en-Wholesale-Price-Change-of-Seaweed-in-South-Korea.png" alt="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;" origin-size="1000,1000"></figure></div><p><br></p><p><br>In addition to increasing fruit prices in South Korea, the price of seaweed, an essential component of K-food, has recently skyrocketed, reaching an all-time high. According to the <a href="https://www.kamis.or.kr/customer/price/wholesale/item.do">Korea Agro-Fisheries &amp; Food Trade Corporation (aT)</a>, seaweed prices, which were in the high 6,000 won range until last year, have risen to nearly 10,000 won, representing a 56.5% increase over the previous year.</p><p><br></p><p>Ironically, South Korea's seaweed production increased by 14.8% from the previous year. Despite increased production, why have seaweed prices skyrocketed?<br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><blockquote class="__se__custom__vertical-blockquote"><p><span style="font-size: 20px;"><strong>Reasons for the Rising Seaweed Prices in 2024</strong></span><br></p></blockquote><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>Currently, three countries produce the majority of the seaweed consumed worldwide: South Korea, China, and Japan. However, as sea surface temperatures have risen, seaweed production in China and Japan has decreased significantly. <br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><blockquote class="__se__custom__normal-blockquote"><p><span style="font-size: 20px;"><strong>Seaweed Farms in Ariake Sea, Japan</strong></span><br></p></blockquote><p><br></p><p><br>Japan, the world's second-largest producer of seaweed after South Korea, has recently seen a sharp drop in seaweed production due to unusually high sea temperatures and red tide occurrences. <strong>Seaweed thrives in relatively cold seawater, and growth is hampered when the temperature rises above 20°C. </strong>When the temperature rises above 25°C, seaweed growth slows or stops completely.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><div class="img-swiper"><div class="swiper"><div class="swiper-wrapper"><div class="swiper-slide"><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-none"><figure><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/45/en-221212-Seaweed-farms-in-Ariake-Sea-Japan.png" alt="" style="" origin-size="2000,1000"></figure></div></div><div class="swiper-slide"><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-none"><figure><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/45/en-230131-Seaweed-farms-in-Ariake-Sea-Japan.png" alt="" style="" origin-size="2000,1000"></figure></div></div><div class="swiper-slide"><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-none"><figure><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/45/en-231202-Seaweed-farms-in-Ariake-Sea-Japan.png" alt="" style="" origin-size="2000,1000"></figure></div></div><div class="swiper-slide"><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-none"><figure><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/45/en-240126-Seaweed-farms-in-Ariake-Sea-Japan.png" alt="" style="" origin-size="2000,1000"></figure></div></div></div><div class="swiper-button-next"></div><div class="swiper-button-prev"></div><div class="swiper-pagination"></div></div></div><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>Compared to the end of January 2023, the right-side farms' seaweed has already been harvested. According to the <a href="https://www.temakizushi.com/">National Fisheries Association Seaweed Business Promotion Council (全国漁連のり事業推進協議会),</a>Japan's seaweed harvest has been declining annually due to rising sea temperatures. The production of dried seaweed, which used to exceed 10 billion sheets, has been reduced by half and has recently dropped below 5 billion sheets.<strong> As a result, it is believed that the harvesting period for seaweed in areas with poor growing conditions may have been slightly earlier than 2023.</strong></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><blockquote class="__se__custom__normal-blockquote"><p><span style="font-size: 20px;"><strong>Changes in the Area of Seaweed Farms in South Korea</strong></span><br></p></blockquote><p><br></p><p><br>Compared to Japan and China, South Korea's marine environment has been relatively stable. However, there are growing concerns that South Korea might be affected as sea surface temperatures rise due to climate change.<strong> If sea surface temperatures continue to rise, it may have a negative impact on seaweed production.</strong></p><p><br></p><p>Through remote sensing with satellite images, Nara Space investigated the seaweed farms in the Jeollanam-do area.<br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><div class="img-swiper"><div class="swiper"><div class="swiper-wrapper"><div class="swiper-slide"><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-none"><figure style="width: 600px;"><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/45/en-220226-Seaweed-Farms-in-South-Korea.png" alt="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;" origin-size="1000,1000"></figure></div></div><div class="swiper-slide"><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-none"><figure style="width: 600px;"><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/45/en-230226-Seaweed-Farms-in-South-Korea.png" alt="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;" origin-size="1000,1000"></figure></div></div><div class="swiper-slide"><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-none"><figure style="width: 600px;"><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/45/en-240126-Seaweed-Farms-in-South-Korea.png" alt="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;" origin-size="1000,1000"></figure></div></div></div><div class="swiper-button-next"></div><div class="swiper-button-prev"></div><div class="swiper-pagination"></div></div></div><p><br></p><p><br><strong>The seaweed farm areas in Jeollanam-do, the largest seaweed-producing region in South Korea, were analyzed over a three-year period from 2022 to 2024 using Sentinel-2 satellite imagery.</strong> Visual examination showed that the overall farming area had not changed significantly from previous years, with the exception of a few seaweed farms that had vanished from the area.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><div class="img-swiper"><div class="swiper"><div class="swiper-wrapper"><div class="swiper-slide"><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-none"><figure style="width: 600px;"><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/45/en-220226-Seaweed-Farms-Area-in-South-Korea.png" alt="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;" origin-size="1000,1000"></figure></div></div><div class="swiper-slide"><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-none"><figure style="width: 600px;"><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/45/en-230226-Seaweed-Farms-Area-in-South-Korea.png" alt="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;" origin-size="1000,1000"></figure></div></div><div class="swiper-slide"><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-none"><figure style="width: 600px;"><p><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/45/en-240126-Seaweed-Farms-Area-in-South-Korea.png" alt="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;" origin-size="1000,1000"></p></figure></div></div></div><div class="swiper-button-next"></div><div class="swiper-button-prev"></div><div class="swiper-pagination"></div></div></div><p><br></p><p><br>To investigate the area of seaweed farms floating in the sea, an analytical technique emphasizing the spectral differences between water bodies and seaweed farms was used. Applying this technique to the Jeollanam-do region revealed that the area of seaweed farms increased in 2024 compared to 2022. However, compared to 2023, the seaweed farm area decreased this year.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-none"><figure><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/45/en-Changes-in-South-Korea-Seaweed-Farming-Facilities-and-Production.png" alt="" style="" origin-size="2000,921"></figure></div><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>Although the number of seaweed farm facilities in South Korea has steadily increased from 2015 to 2023, there has been no substantial change in seaweed production in comparison to the increase in the area of facilities.<br></p><p><br>While the area of seaweed farming facilities in South Korea has risen, seaweed production has not increased significantly. Why hasn't seaweed production increased significantly?</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><blockquote class="__se__custom__normal-blockquote"><p><span style="font-size: 20px;"><strong>Changes in Sea Surface Temperature in South Korea</strong></span></p></blockquote><p><br></p><p><br></p><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-none"><figure><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/45/en-Changes-in-Sea-Surface-Temperature-and-Seaweed-Production-in-South-Korea.png" alt="" style="" origin-size="2000,921"></figure></div><p><br></p><p><br>The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) uses satellite imagery to provide information about the ocean, such as sea surface temperature and sea ice area. Using NOAA sea surface temperature data, we extracted the sea surface temperature of the area surrounding Jeollanam-do and investigated the relationship between sea surface temperature and seaweed production from 2015 to 2024.</p><p><br></p><p>Sea surface temperature and seaweed production are generally inversely proportional. Seaweed production fell in 2020 and 2024 when sea surface temperatures were high, but increased in 2018, 2019, and 2022 when sea surface temperatures were low.<br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><div class="img-compare"><img-comparison-slider class="slider-with-animated-handle"><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/45/en-2015-Sea-Surface-Temperature.png" alt="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;" origin-size="1000,1000"><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/45/en-2024-Sea-Surface-Temperature.png" alt="" style="width: 600px; height: auto;" origin-size="1000,1000"></img-comparison-slider></div><p><br></p><p><br><strong>When comparing sea surface temperature between 2015 and 2024, it is clear that it has increased.</strong> Because sea surface temperature is regarded as one of the most important factors in seaweed farming, it is critical to continuously monitor it and develop strategies to maintain the appropriate temperature.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-none"><figure><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/45/en-Projected-increase-in-sea-surface-temperature-near-Jeollanam-do.png" alt="" style="" origin-size="2000,921"></figure></div><p><br></p><p><br>Between 1968 and 2022, the sea surface temperature in the vicinity of Jeollanam-do rose by 1.36 degrees Celsius. The global average is 2.5 times slower than this rate of increase. Seaweed thrives at temperatures of approximately 10 degrees Celsius during the winter. The average sea surface temperature in winter (January to March) near Korea, <strong>which was maintained at 8.5 degrees Celsius in 2015, is anticipated to increase to 13.6 degrees Celsius by 2100, </strong>according to the SSP scenario utilized in the <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/">IPCC 6th Assessment Report.</a> This rise in temperature will not only restrict seaweed farming but also have a substantial effect on other marine ecosystems.</p><p><br></p><ul><li style="font-size: 13px;"><strong>IPCC 6th Assessment Report :</strong>&nbsp;A climate change assessment report published by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) during the 6th assessment cycle (2015-2023).<br></li><li style="font-size: 13px;"><strong>SSP scenario :</strong> SSP5-8.5, a scenario that emphasizes the rapid developments of industrial technology and anticipates the indiscriminate expansion of urban-centered development and high fossil fuel consumption.<br></li></ul><p style="font-size: 13px;"><br><span style="font-size: 15px;">As a result of this analysis, we found that the price of seaweed in Korea had increased significantly as a result of the reduced production in other countries as a result of climate change. At present, the Korean Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced that it plans to establish additional fish farms in order to increase the production of seaweed. In order to ensure the long-term stability of seaweed farming, it is crucial to ensure sustainability by employing satellite analysis to actively monitor variations in sea surface temperature and implement strategies to maintain the appropriate temperature.</span></p><p style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"><br><br>​<br></span><br></p>

The price of seaweed is going through the roof. Can we resist climate inflation?

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