Accumulating Marine Debris... Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries Introduces Immediate Removal 'Eogu Towing System'

Announcement of Gear Circulation Management Measures to Prevent Marine Debris by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries
Ministerial Meeting on National Issues on the 26th

A gear towing system will be introduced to quickly remove illegal fishing gear that accumulates as marine debris. This decision comes from the assessment that despite ongoing efforts to collect abandoned fishing gear discarded at sea, a large amount still remains unattended in the ocean.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced on the 26th that it has prepared a gear circulation management plan with these measures and reported it at the National Policy-Related Ministers' Meeting.

From now on, illegal fishing gear with unknown owners that is abandoned will be removed immediately upon discovery. Previously, removal was only possible after two months according to administrative enforcement laws. Going forward, a special case for administrative enforcement will be established, allowing the gear to be sold or disposed of within one month if not returned after a storage notice procedure following the discovery of illegal gear.

The gear deposit system, which provides cash points in addition to the deposit when returning abandoned gear, will be expanded until 2026. Separate from the deposit, cash refunds ranging from 700 to 1300 won will be given as collection points for abandoned gear to encourage fishermen’s participation.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries decided to implement the gear circulation management plan due to the serious damage caused by accumulated abandoned gear. According to the ministry, out of the 145,000 tons of marine debris generated annually in Korea, 50,000 tons originate at sea. Of this, an estimated 38,000 tons are abandoned fishing gear. According to the Korea Maritime Institute (KMI) and the Korea Legislation Research Institute, ghost fishing caused by nets discarded at sea, which trap and kill fish, results in an economic loss of about 400 billion won annually, equivalent to approximately 10% of Korea’s fishery production value.

Management responsibilities to prevent illegal dumping at sea will also be strengthened. A gear management logbook system will be introduced for fishing vessels in fisheries with high gear usage and loss rates, recording gear usage and locations where abandoned gear is returned and disposed of. This is to prevent illegal dumping at sea and unauthorized abandonment on land. Additionally, a gear loss reporting system will be introduced, requiring reporting of the number and location of lost gear when a certain amount is lost, to ensure efficient collection.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.