TIDAL FLAT HARVESTING ENTERS THE NATIONAL HERITAGE LIST

The Cultural HeritageAdministration has a new listing on the National Intangible Cultural Heritagelist: “tidal flat harvesting.” The new element encompasses the traditionalknowledge and skills, the communal practices, and the rites associated with collectinginvertebrates in the tidal flats along the western and southern coasts of theKorean Peninsula.

Coastal wetlands, nicknamed"sea fields" in Korea, have long provided an important source oflivelihoods for local people. The traditional practice of maintaining tidalflats as communal property has been transmitted to the present in the form of villagecooperatives. Korean tidal flats are a treasure trove of diverse oceanresources and have held a disproportionate influence over the formation anddevelopment of the nation’s diet.

Harvesting in Koreantidal flats can be performed with the bare hands or using tools. Diverse skillsare applied depending on the condition of the tides and currents. Methods andtools differ based on the geological environments of particular areas as well—whethermud or sand dominates the seabed or whether there is gravel present.

The practice ofharvesting shellfish and other invertebrate animals in coastal wetlands enjoys along and steady history on the Korean Peninsula. The western and southerncoastal areas have produced many large shell middens dating to the New Stone,Bronze, and Iron Ages all the way to the Goryeo Dynasty. Written records ontidal flat harvesting can be found in a book on seafood from the Joseon period—Jasaneobo by the Biologist Jeong Yak-jeon (1758–1816).

Tidal flat harvestinginvolves a number of performative rites, enriching Korean culture and traditions.The most well-known community tradition associated with it is the gaet je,a seasonal festival praying for a good harvest. This coastal village ritualis also called "a rite to call clams" or "a rite to call oysters."Members of a local village gather to invite all kinds of edible sea creatures intotheir flats as if they were humans. In addition, there are separate communityrituals for predicting the quantity of the catch or to celebrate a good harvest. 

The ecological, social,and cultural values of tidal flats are increasingly being appreciated thesedays. A growing number of tidal flats in Korea have been designated as UNESCO BiosphereReserves and as provincial-level natural parks by the Korean government. Fourtidal flat areas spanning Seocheon, Gochang, Sinan, Boseong, and Suncheon were collectivelyinscribed on the World Heritage List this past July. Coastal communitiespracticing tidal flat harvesting are strongly committed to the healthy transmissionof their tradition. They voluntarily abstain from harvesting duringcollectively designated fallow periods and release juvenile invertebrates.These practices testify to the traditional Korean cosmology in which nature isnot imagined as a material that humans are intended to exploit, but part of a greatercycle encompassing both humans and non-humans.

Tidal flat harvesting waspositively evaluated during the deliberation process for the following reasons:It possesses a time-honored history with many active transmission communities overan extensive area; This history is supported by written records from at least theJoseon period; The diverse skills and techniques manifested in tidal flat harvestinghold great potential for academic research; There are many unique rites andfestivals associated with tidal flat harvesting; The practice shows great localdiversity through, for example, the different tools applied; and It continuesto serve as an important source of livelihoods in Korean communities.

As tidal flat harvestingis being transmitted across the western and southern coastal areas in manyvillages, no particular individuals or organizations will be recognized as"holders" of this element.

The Cultural Heritage Administration plans to continue to expandthe scope of protection through the designation of new national intangiblecultural properties so that our traditional culture can be passed down tofuture generations.

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