TIDAL FLAT HARVESTING ENTERS THE NATIONAL HERITAGE LIST

The Cultural Heritage Administration has a new listing on the National Intangible Cultural Heritage list: “tidal flat harvesting.” The new element encompasses the traditional knowledge and skills, the communal practices, and the rites associated with collecting invertebrates in the tidal flats along the western and southern coasts of the Korean Peninsula.

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

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

The practice of harvesting shellfish and other invertebrate animals in coastal wetlands enjoys a long and steady history on the Korean Peninsula. The western and southern coastal 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 on tidal flat harvesting can be found in a book on seafood from the Joseon period—Jasan eobo by the Biologist Jeong Yak-jeon (1758–1816).

Tidal flat harvesting involves 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 ritual is 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 into their flats as if they were humans. In addition, there are separate community rituals 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 these days. A growing number of tidal flats in Korea have been designated as UNESCO Biosphere Reserves and as provincial-level natural parks by the Korean government. Four tidal flat areas spanning Seocheon, Gochang, Sinan, Boseong, and Suncheon were collectively inscribed on the World Heritage List this past July. Coastal communities practicing tidal flat harvesting are strongly committed to the healthy transmission of their tradition. They voluntarily abstain from harvesting during collectively designated fallow periods and release juvenile invertebrates. These practices testify to the traditional Korean cosmology in which nature is not imagined as a material that humans are intended to exploit, but part of a greater cycle encompassing both humans and non-humans.

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

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

The Cultural Heritage Administration plans to continue to expand the scope of protection through the designation of new national intangible cultural properties so that our traditional culture can be passed down to future generations.

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