The government has found that insurance enrollment at aquaculture and salt farm facilities across the country is below 50%, indicating an urgent need for improvements in working conditions.
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Ministry of Employment and Labor conducted a safety and health environment survey from March to July this year, covering 250 aquaculture and salt farm sites. The assessment included quantitative evaluations of employers, workers, workplaces, and equipment, as well as qualitative evaluations of hazardous and risky factors.
The survey revealed that the total number of workers at the 250 facilities was 2,791, with an average of 11 workers per site. Among them, 17% were foreign workers, and 55% of the total workforce was male. Additionally, 52% of the workers were aged 50 and older, and 30% were self-employed.
The average insurance enrollment rate across five types of insurance was 44%, with 70% of the facilities reporting annual revenues exceeding 100 million won. However, salt farms showed a stark contrast, with 68.5% of self-employed individuals, an 8% insurance enrollment rate, and only 2% reporting revenues above 100 million won.
The quantitative survey assessed 76 items across three categories: employers and workers, workplaces, and equipment. The average safety and health score in the aquaculture sector was only 1.97 out of 5. By sector, coastal aquaculture scored 2.04, freshwater aquaculture 1.96, and salt farms 1.88.
Qualitative assessments identified common issues such as inadequate risk assessments, insufficient posting of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), and lack of safety signage. Specific problems included risks of falls and handling heavy materials in coastal aquaculture, inadequate safety covers for mixing machines and electrical grounding issues in freshwater aquaculture, and dangers from extreme heat, falls into waterways, and the risk of confined spaces in salt farms.
In response, experts have called for enhanced safety and health awareness and training for employers and workers, as well as joint safety inspections of facilities to address regulatory gaps. There is also a growing demand for government support to improve safety facilities and equipment.
Choi Hyun-ho, head of the Fisheries Policy Office at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, stated, "We will analyze the results of this survey with relevant departments to reassess and improve the safety and health management system across the fisheries sector. With the establishment of a dedicated department for improving the working environment of fishery workers, we will systematically enhance labor conditions."
Lee Min-jae, head of the Industrial Safety and Health Policy Office at the Ministry of Employment and Labor, emphasized, "We will actively manage the identified risks in collaboration with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. Local governments are also implementing specialized projects to prevent serious accidents in the fisheries sector, and we will work together in various ways."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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