MoF "Zero Styrofoam Buoys in Aquaculture Farms Within 5 Years"

Vision for Zero Styrofoam Buoys in Aquaculture Farms by 2025.

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Joo Sang-don] The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced on the 27th that it will replace styrofoam buoys at fish farms with eco-friendly buoys by 2025.

Lee Su-ho, Director of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy Division at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, explained, "Styrofoam buoys currently used in most fish farms account for 55% of coastal plastic waste. However, they easily crumble due to waves and break into tiny particles, making collection or removal very difficult."

In response, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries introduced an eco-friendly buoy distribution project in 2015 and incorporated related measures into the "Comprehensive Plan to Reduce Marine Plastic" announced in May 2019, aiming to replace 50% of buoys with eco-friendly ones by 2022. However, in the aquaculture field, eco-friendly buoys were more expensive than existing styrofoam buoys, heavier, and harder, and they rapidly lost buoyancy when water seeped in, causing difficulties in distribution.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries judged that to fundamentally solve the styrofoam buoy problem at fish farms, participation from aquaculture fishermen and quality improvement were necessary, and prepared improvement measures that reflect the voices from the field as much as possible.

First, to encourage participation from aquaculture fishermen, the ministry held an "Open Communication Forum" three times at fishing sites, where environmental groups, consumer organizations, and civil society jointly verified the quality of eco-friendly buoys.

Additionally, to improve the quality of eco-friendly buoys, a new product was developed to address previously pointed out issues. This product is made of a material that does not easily break, is easy to recycle, and secures its own buoyancy, with the same material layered on top to enhance durability. Performance tests were conducted at actual fish farms for four months from November last year to April this year. The ministry plans to revise related guidelines in the first half of this year and supply the new product to the field from the second half. In the mid to long term, it will also promote the development of materials that completely replace plastic.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries secured a budget of 7 billion won this year, twice the amount of last year, to expand the distribution of eco-friendly buoys. It plans to actively consult with financial authorities to ensure timely budget allocation in the future.

The director said, "This plan is practically effective as aquaculture fishermen have taken the lead in improving the marine environment," and added, "We will spare no support to ensure that styrofoam buoys completely disappear from our fish farms by 2025."