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The sea lion, which is the top predator of the marine ecosystem but has been designated as an endangered species due to its reduced population, was discovered in the South Sea.
Two months ago, it appeared for the first time in 100 years in Gageo Island, Jeollanam-do, and this time it was captured for the first time off the coast of Tongyeong.
Reporter Ryu Hyun-joon will deliver the video obtained exclusively.
◀ Report ▶
An uninhabited island 24 kilometers south of Tongyeong, Gyeongsangnam-do.
I see an animal basking in the sun on a rock in the sea.
Upon a cautious approach, it uses its hind legs to stride up the rock and then deftly plunges into the water.
A sleek, streamlined body with grey-brown fur and fin-like legs.
It is an endangered class 2 sea lion.
[김연희/국립공원을 지키는 시민의 모임]
″I wonder if the angler left something behind. Actually, I thought so at first. It feels strange to see it moving. Could it be a seal? (I thought.)″
Sea lions are such a rare species that only nine were found in Korea until recently in the 2000s.
It was mainly found in the East Sea, but it was discovered in June in Gageo Island, Shinan-gun, Jeollanam-do in 100 years.
After two months, this time, it appeared for the first time off the coast of Tongyeong.
Experts estimate that it is a young male like the one that appeared on Gageo Island, and that it may have moved south from the Hokkaido coast after being pushed out of the herd.
[조영석/대구대학교 생물교육학과 교수]
″A male who does not have a harem is unmarried. Then you can’t live there with that group.”
Just a few decades ago, there were many more of these sea lions in our waters.
Sea lions were called ‘Dokdo sea lions’ because they mainly inhabited Ulleungdo and Dokdo.
There is a record that Japanese fishermen entered Dokdo without permission from 1904 to 1941 and caught about 16,500 fish.
After that, the population declined sharply, and the official record disappeared at the end of 1951, and in 1994, the World Conservation Union declared it extinct.
Sea lions have a protected area off the coast of Russia, which has caused friction with fishermen off the coast of Japan.
This is Ryu Hyun-joon from MBC News.
Video Editing: Yurim Oh
2023-08-23 11:29:55
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