South Korea to focus on conservation of marine environment, biodiversity

Seoul : South Korea will focus on the conservation of marine environment and biodiversity as the Asian economy cannot keep growing without a preserved environment, the country's oceans and fisheries minister said on Tuesday.

"Without a preserved environment, it's not easy to build economic wealth. Unless the environment for dwelling, forest and agriculture, as well as the marine environment, are properly preserved, the balance will be broken," Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Kang Do-hyung told a press conference with foreign correspondents in Seoul, reported Xinhua news agency.

Kang vowed to make his best efforts to conserve the marine environment and ecosystem diversity as biodiversity restoration and carbon dioxide reduction cannot be achieved without a preserved ocean.

To conserve marine biodiversity, the ministry planned to designate 30 per cent of the country's ocean as protected marine areas while pushing for enactment of the Protected Marine Area Act.

It was in line with the global trend, in which the international community set the goal of designating 30 per cent of their land and ocean as protected areas by 2030, Kang noted.

To tackle climate change challenges, the ministry planned to scale up blue carbon, or the carbon absorbed by the marine ecosystem such as marine organisms and algae.

Under the plan, it aims to absorb about 1.36 million tonnes of carbon emissions by 2050. It is known that about 23 per cent of the globally produced greenhouse gas emissions are absorbed by the ocean.

For the reduction of marine plastic pollution, the ministry launched a so-called fishing gear deposit system this year, in which fishermen pay a certain amount of money, or deposit, when purchasing fishing gear and receive back the deposit after returning the used fishing gear.

Of the country's marine-produced waste estimated at 50,000 tonnes per year, discarded fishing gear and aquafarm waste accounted for 75.5 per cent and 12.8 per cent, respectively, according to the ministry.

The country has developed and distributed biodegradable fishing gear to local fishermen since 2007, supplying more than 30 million units of eco-friendly buoy since 2015.

Through the marine environment policies, the country will create a healthy marine environment that can be enjoyed by future generations, Kang stressed.

South Korea will host the 10th Our Ocean Conference in the southeastern port city of Busan in April next year.

About 1,000 people, including government officials from some 100 countries and representatives of some 400 non-profit and international organisations, are expected to attend the conference where issues on protected marine area, marine pollution, climate change, sustainable fishing, marine economy and marine security will be discussed, Kang added.