Climate Change is Threatening the Livelihoods of Korea’s Women Free-Divers

Haenyeo — female divers in South Korea — clad in wetsuits and occasionally pink-ringed eye masks, free-dive without oxygen for a minute at a time, hoping to harvest sea cucumbers, conchs, and abalones. An old tradition, the haenyeo have been an integral part of Jeju Province’s economy since the 17^th century.

Now, however, this tradition is under threat because of climate change. So much so that, In 2016, UNESCO included the women on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, which helped draw tourists to the island specifically to watch them dive.

Eunjoo Kim, a 54-year-old diver, moved to Jeju because she wanted to live what she called “a traditional life.” Kim mainly hunts conchs, iridescent abalones, and spiky sea cucumbers, from October to May.

“Little by little, I have learned how to live in harmony with nature while working as a haenyeo,” she said. “I have become sensitive to changes in climate and seasons that I was not interested in previously.”

But while the work of the haenyeo was already difficult, global warming is only making it harder.

Experts say that between 1968 and 2017, the sea surface temperature around Korea warmed 2.2 degrees Fahrenheit (1.2 Celsius), causing a change in the species that inhabit the area, and bringing in new, non-native species. The new species have driven away natives and altered the seafloor, with stony corals replacing many of the previous seaweed forests. Further, according to a study of the marine ecosystem in Munseom Island waters (which are part of Jeju) conducted by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the concentration of Ecklonia cava, an edible species of brown algae measured at depths of 33 to 49 feet, dropped from 67.5 percent in 2002 to 4.2 percent in 2015.

This death of marine life has forced the haenyeo to dive deeper, adding a level of danger to an already dangerous job, Kim explained.

Becoming a haenyeo requires up to five years of training, in the women they develop the ability to dive as deep as 66 feet under the surface level with a minute’s worth of breath each time. In each dive, they use nets to collect as many shelled animals as possible. The catches are then sold in local markets, and provide sustenance for many families.

Brenda Paik Sunoo, a writer and photojournalist based on Jeju Island, esaid that “given today’s climate changes, many wonder if they will be able to continue their livelihoods in the next decade. Whereas before, haenyeo could fill their baskets full of sea snails, now they can barely fill half their baskets.”

Today, there are approximately 4,000 remaining haenyeo. “They are most likely the last generation,” Sunoo said.

Still, there is hope that the profession will continue.

“Many young people are interested in being a haenyeo,” Kim said. “The competition at Haenyeo School is quite high every year. However, the path to becoming a haenyeo is not easy, so many young people are not recruited. However, I hope more and more young people continue to show interest in this work.”

Known for their prowess, courage, and intense labor, the haenyeo always have been social activists as well, not unlike other global environmentalists who respect the water. They believe in only diving for what they need, and they actively work to avoid greed.

The younger haenyeo often dive with the assistance of the older women in order to remove garbage from the beach and sea as part of their community service.

“Haenyeo do not only hunt, but also check, protect, and manage the marine ecosystem,” Kim said. “We are protectors of the sea.”