With the colder weather now,... the shipment of oysters from Korea's southern coast has begun in earnest.<br />However, since downpours were especially intense in Korea this summer,... local fishermen say the oysters are bigger than usual and there are more of them.<br />Our Choi Jeong-yoon tells us more.<br />With winter approaching, the fishing community in Korea's southern city of Tongyeong in Gyeongsangnam-do Province is starting to get busy.<br />A fisherman pulls clusters of oysters attached to buoys from the sea.<br />With a suitable environment for the oysters to grow, this year's oysters are bigger than ever.<br />" Since we had a lot of rain in the summer, nutrients from the land allowed for bountiful food in ocean, meaning these oysters are especially large."<br />As workers hustle to remove the oysters from their shells, the healthy size of the day's catch becomes apparent.<br />"About 60 people are busy shucking oysters day and night."<br />At a market where goods are sold on consignment, the first auction for the newly harvested oysters begins.<br />As this is the end point of a month's wait, buyers fight to get the best quality oysters for the best possible price.<br />Eighty tons of oysters are sold in the market before the day is out.<br />However, prices are around 20 percent lower than last year, coming to roughly 54 U.S. dollars per 10 kilogram box.<br />The fishing community is slightly concerned about the lower prices as a large amount of high-quality oysters are expected to be produced this year.<br />"We are not worried about the quality or the supply this year. But it will be hard to maintain the usual price if the supply is too great."<br />Korea's southern coast oysters account for 70 percent of the domestic oyster market, producing 40,000 tons a year.<br />Choi Jeong-yoon, Arirang News.<br />
