On South Korea’s Jeju Island, generations of women have made their living by diving in the ocean on a single breath to harvest shellfish and seaweed. These free-diving fisherwomen, known as haenyeo, embody a thousand-year-old tradition of strength, skill and sustainability. In 2023 the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) designated the Jeju Haenyeo Fisheries System as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS), affirming the haenyeo’s significance as custodians of marine biodiversity, sustainable harvesting practices and an extraordinary communal ethic. But as the seas warm and their numbers decline, the haenyeo face new challenges beneath the waves.
Source:FAO