International and South Korean NGOs are condemning the South Korean government for mishandling a case of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing that occurred in the Antarctic.

Despite pledging the two vessels in question would be sanctioned, the South Korean government halted prosecution and allowed the vessel owners to sell the illegal catch on the international market, risking it landing on the plates of consumers.

NGOs, including the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC), the Citizen's Institutes for Environmental Studies (CIES) and the Korean Federation for Environmental Movement (KFEM), have criticised the Korean government, pointing out that the suspension was applied during a non-fishing period under the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), meaning it had little or no impact on the operator.

In December 2017, the Korean distant water fishing vessels Southern Ocean and Hong-Jin 701, both owned by the Hong-Jin company, violated conservation measures of the CCAMLR, an international fishing body established by the UN to protect pristine Antarctic waters.

The vessels fished illegally over the course of four days, catching 70 metric tons of toothfish despite receiving a closure notification from the CCAMLR secretariat.

After finding the vessels had violated international rules, the Korean government promised to ensure the operator did not receive any financial benefit, and issued a 60-day business suspension – barring the boats from fishing.

Despite assurances to international partners, the illegal catch was returned to the vessels’ operator who went on to sell it for more than $800,000 (€705,676).

The Korean Prosecutors Office did not take forward criminal prosecution of the case.

“Contrary to what the Korean government announced internationally, Korean officials allowed the IUU-caught fish to enter not only Korea but also the international market," the NGOs said in a statement.

"Even worse, the government is claiming that they are not aware of its destination. This incident reveals how legal loopholes and un-transparent fishery governance can be exploited”.

The NGOs’ want to see implementation of stronger measures that can prevent illegally caught fish entering the market, and the establishment of a fish traceability system to prevent similar cases.

In October 2018, South Korea’s Minister of Fisheries signed a pledge to work more closely with the European Union to tackle IUU fishing—a commitment the NGOs say is seriously jeopardized by the handling of this case.

The Korean boats appear on a list of vessels authorized to export to the European Union, and Korean toothfish vessels frequently export their product to the United States, raising the prospect that their illegal catch may find its way to international markets.