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GS Retail has been selling apples from Yeongwol County, Kangwon Province since last December because they have been getting sweeter as a result of climate change. "Apples grow well in regions with high day temperature and high daily temperature fluctuations. As the average temperature in Korea goes up, the regions suitable for apple farming also move north,¡± says a Shinsegae Emart staffer. Once mainly grown in South Gyeongsang and Chungcheong provinces, they are now produced all the way to the North Korean border. The same is true for strawberries and seafood. East Sea squid and South Sea anchovies are no longer all that can be had. These days, squid and anchovies caught in the West Sea represent 20-30 percent of national consumption, bringing a veritable sea change for logistics due to climate change.
¡ß Fruit
Strawberries are produced in more northerly regions. Growing in greenhouses, one might think they would be unaffected by weather, yet in the past, cold regions couldn't afford the high heating cost, which made the warm Nonsan region in South Chungcheong Province the center of strawberry farming. Yet with rising temperatures, areas like Yeoju in Gyeonggi Province and Yangju have started to grow strawberries. Yangju¡¯s proximity to Seoul makes that particularly welcome for lovers of fresh fruit in the capital.
¡ß Seafood
Once upon a time, the East Sea and especially Ulleung Island was famous for squid. But the main squid area has moved from the East Sea to the South Sea and again to the West Sea. The industry predicts that squid from the West Sea now account for 30 percent of fresh squid in stores. They are also caught in larger numbers from the start of the year; in the past, May was the main season. The industry believes that is because the water temperature in the East Sea is going up. From logistics point of view, that is good news, since it is cheaper to transport squid from the West Sea to Seoul and the metropolitan region.
Anchovies and mackerel, meanwhile, were mainly produced in the South Sea, but today the West Sea is emerging as a new center. The West Sea has witnessed soaring production volume of anchovies for four years, now accounting for 20-30 percent of the national catch. Mackerel, once caught only in the South Sea, started to be netted off Gunsan in the West Sea last year. "Due to rising seawater temperature, indigenous products are changing,¡± a GS Retail staffer said. Lee Mi-kyeong, the secretary of the Green Foundation, says this proves that global warming is accelerating. She warns the industry to be prepared.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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