Incheon City Invests 58.6 Billion KRW in Fishing Villages and Fisheries... Constructs 3 Local Fishing Ports Including Hupo Port

Sustainable Fisheries Village and Harbor Revitalization Project Until 2026
Replacement Construction of Fishery Guidance Vessels and Support for Seafood Distribution

Incheon City announced on the 23rd that it will invest a total budget of 58.6 billion KRW this year in the fishing village and fisheries sectors, implementing 86 projects to ensure a safe and hygienic supply of seafood and improve the quality of life for fishermen.

As a priority project, the city will continue the regeneration projects for fishing villages and ports in 18 areas across Ganghwa-gun, Ongjin-gun, and Jung-gu until 2026. By the end of last year, three out of eight sites in the 'Fishing Village New Deal 300' phases 2 and 3 projects were completed, and the remaining five sites are scheduled to be finished by the second half of this year.

The phase 4 projects (3 sites) will complete detailed design this year and proceed to construction. Additionally, the Ganghwa-gun Janggothang and Ongjin-gun Baegari2hang, selected for the fishing village revitalization projects that started as follow-up projects to the Fishing Village New Deal 300 last year, will complete their basic plans by the first half of this year and begin detailed design.

Furthermore, 4.6 billion KRW will be invested in constructing three local fishing ports including Hupo Port, Soyeonpyeong Port, and Gwangmyeong Port, and 4.2 billion KRW will be allocated for the repair and reinforcement of six fishing ports such as Changhu Port, Sahadong Port, and Seondu Port. Additionally, 800 million KRW will be spent to install multifunctional composite floating piers at three ports in Ganghwa-gun.

Last year, the 'Fishing Vessel Safety Operation Act Enforcement Decree' was amended to adjust the fishing limit line in the Ganghwa waters for the first time in 60 years and to expand fishing grounds by an area three times the size of Yeouido (8.2 km²). In response, Incheon City plans to improve fishing conditions in the border waters by newly constructing and deploying one small (5-ton class) fishery patrol vessel this year to prevent and respond quickly to safety accidents in the newly established fishing grounds.

Over the next five years, five old fishery patrol vessels that have been in service for more than 28 years will be replaced, with support for one Ongjin-gun fishery patrol vessel (9.2 billion KRW) whose detailed design was completed this year as the first step. Starting this year, remote vessel inspections will be implemented during the five-year periodic inspections for small fishing vessels under 2 tons (outboard motor), which is expected to improve fishing convenience for fishermen in the West Sea Five Islands.

The scene of installing artificial reefs [Photo provided by Incheon City]

The city will also invest 3.97 billion KRW in releasing fish seeds and installing artificial reefs to create sustainable fishery resources, and will restore the coastal ecosystem through a project to create spawning and habitat grounds for webfoot octopus.

Funds will be allocated for release effect surveys and artificial reef fishery management to verify the effectiveness of fishery resource creation projects. According to a survey conducted by the Korea Fisheries Resources Agency under the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the release of fish seeds and installation of artificial reefs resulted in economic effects of 5.26 times for blue crabs and 5.19 times for flatfish. Areas with artificial reefs saw fishery resource catches increase by about 2 to 4 times compared to areas without such reefs.

In addition, the city plans to support seafood freezing and refrigeration facilities to improve the quality and safety of local specialty products, thereby promoting seafood consumption. Efforts will also be made to establish a sales base for fishing village specialty products, support new income generation through online promotion of fishing village experience and leisure villages, and foster fisheries professionals through specialized programs linked with fisheries high schools.

An official from Incheon City stated, "To overcome the continuous decline in the fishing population and the crisis of fishing village extinction, we will discover various fisheries policy projects and provide meticulous support to fishermen so that we can build prosperous fishing villages together."