Busan restricts park access over shark — Korea Herald
In Busan, South Korea, authorities have restricted evening access to the North Port waterfront park since Monday after large crowds came to see a shark that had remained in the water channel for a third day. Access to the park is restricted from 18:30, Korea Herald reports.
Shark remains in the channel
The approximately 3.5-meter-long shark was first spotted near Busan's North Port at around 9:00 on September 18. It is tentatively believed to be a dusky shark, although South Korea's National Institute of Fisheries Science has not yet confirmed the animal's species.
After reports of the shark's appearance, the Busan Coast Guard initially tried to guide it into the open sea. However, specialists at the National Institute of Fisheries Science advised against provoking the animal and recommended allowing it to leave the channel on its own.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Thousands of visitors came to North Port
As of Monday, the shark had not left the area, while people continued gathering along the channel. According to local media, nearly 30,000 visitors came to North Port over the weekend to see the animal. Their number exceeded the capacity of security services, prompting authorities to introduce evening restrictions.
A researcher at the institute suggested that the shark may have entered the channel while pursuing prey and become lost. The institute also noted that as sea temperatures rise, warm-water fish species and the predators that feed on them, including sharks, are rapidly shifting northward. The average sea surface temperature during the first six months of the year was 17.17 degrees Celsius, the highest figure since 2001.
Busan's mayor also said that the shark likely swam into the area in search of food, as more warm-water fish are arriving at North Port because of climate change.
