Suhyup cooperatives vow to counter seaweed industry auction boycott

The Suhyup Central Federation and 18 seaweed-producing cooperatives have announced a joint response to threats from the dried seaweed processing industry. The processing sector has reportedly moved to refuse participation in wet seaweed auctions as a means of pressuring Suhyup to halt its dried seaweed processing business.

Cooperative leaders emphasized that wet seaweed has low storage capacity and must be distributed quickly after harvest. They warned that blocking auctions would directly jeopardize the livelihoods of producing fishermen. The federation is considering legal action under fair trade laws if trading disruptions occur and plans to visit the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to demand government measures to ensure normal regional transactions. A dedicated task force has been established to monitor auction participation and pricing to detect and respond to any irregularities.