Incheon City Establishes Dedicated Marine Environment Department... Ecosystem Protection and Marine Debris Cleanup

Mudflat
Photo by Incheon City

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Incheon City has established a dedicated department to oversee the marine environment sector.

On the 23rd, the city announced that it created the Marine Environment Division within the Marine Aviation Bureau, operating three teams focused on marine environment policy, marine environment cleanup, and marine ecological geology.

The division is responsible for designating and managing marine protected areas and wetland protection zones, restoring tidal flat ecosystems, managing specific islands, cleaning marine debris, as well as obtaining UNESCO World Natural Heritage certification and registration for geoparks and tidal flats, and promoting eco-tourism development.

Incheon features tidal flats spanning 709.6㎢, a coastline stretching 1,079 km, 168 islands, marine protected areas, Ramsar wetlands, breeding grounds for the black-faced spoonbill, and seal habitats.

However, the marine environment is threatened by debris drifting from the Han River estuary and various wastes in the West Sea, making protection and management necessary.

An Incheon city official stated, "This dedicated marine environment department is the first of its kind nationwide," adding, "We will do our best to lead the protection of the marine environment and the revitalization of eco-tourism as a marine city."