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Ecological and Anthropogenic Drivers of Hairtail Catch Distribution: A Spatial Analysis of the Southern Coastal Waters of South Korea
by
, , , and
Jongoh Nam
1
,
Cheolhyung Park
1,
Jingon Son
2,*,
Ohmin Kwon
2,*,
Mingyeong Jeong
2 and
Moonsuk Lee
3 1
Division of Marine & Fisheries Business and Economics, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Republic of Korea
2
Resource & Environmental Economics Research Institute, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Republic of Korea
3
Ocean Policy Research Center, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST), Busan 49111, Republic of Korea
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Animals 2025, 15(17), 2472; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15172472
Submission received: 13 June 2025
/
Revised: 6 August 2025
/
Accepted: 19 August 2025
/
Published: 22 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Ecology and Conservation)
Simple Summary
Hairtail (Trichiurus lepturus) is a commercially important fish species in South Korea, serving as both a vital food source and a major contributor to the local fishing industry. However, catch rates vary spatially and temporally in response to oceanographic conditions, including water temperature, dissolved oxygen levels, salinity, and food availability. In this study, we investigated the spatial and seasonal distribution of hairtail catches across the southern coastal waters of South Korea. We applied a spatial analytical approach that accounts for both site-specific conditions and the interactions among neighboring areas. Our results indicated that hairtail abundance was positively associated with areas of higher salinity and lower oxygen concentrations. Furthermore, regions with elevated phytoplankton biomass, an essential food source for smaller marine organisms, were found to enhance hairtail presence in adjacent waters. These findings advance our understanding of the species’ habitat preferences and environmental responses, providing insights that can inform more effective and sustainable fisheries management strategies. By integrating spatial mapping and environmental data, this research offers critical information for shaping future fishing policies and conserving key fishery resources such as hairtail.
Abstract
This study examined the spatial distribution and environmental determinants of hairtail (Trichiurus lepturus) catch volumes in the southern coastal waters of South Korea, employing a Spatial Durbin Model (SDM) based on grid-level data collected from 2020 to 2022. Key explanatory variables included chlorophyll-a concentration, dissolved oxygen, salinity, sea surface temperature, and fishing effort. Spatial autocorrelation was confirmed through Moran’s I test, justifying the application of a spatial econometric framework. Among the environmental factors, salinity exhibited the strongest positive direct effect on catch volumes, whereas dissolved oxygen consistently showed a negative effect. Chlorophyll-a concentration exhibited significant positive effects both within local grids and in neighboring areas. Sea surface temperature also had a modest but significant direct effect on catch volumes. Additionally, higher fishing effort was associated with increased catch volumes, emphasizing the spatial impact of human activities on fishery resources. These findings reveal that hairtail tend to aggregate in high-salinity, low-oxygen environments and respond to seasonal oceanographic variations. Overall, the results highlight the value of spatial econometric models in fisheries research by revealing how environmental and anthropogenic factors influence fish catch through both direct and indirect effects. The spatial framework offers deeper insight into the mechanisms driving hairtail distribution, particularly in ecologically complex regions like the Jeju Strait.
Keywords:
hairtail; grid data; spatial autocorrelation; spatial panel model
