Preparation Meeting for Demonstration of Regulatory Free Zone for Seafood Byproduct Recycling in Gyeongnam Held

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced that it held a 'Demonstration Launch Preparation Meeting' on the 13th at Dongwon F&B Changwon Factory to prepare for the full-scale demonstration of the Gyeongnam Seafood Byproduct Recycling Regulatory Free Zone, designated this year with the goal of fostering an eco-friendly and high value-added fisheries industry through the recycling of seafood byproducts.

This meeting was held to establish a 'Demonstration Roadmap,' including demonstration goals, schedules, and safety verification plans, ahead of the full-scale demonstration. Along with the regulatory authority, the Ministry of Environment, the Korea Fisheries Infrastructure Public Agency, which oversees fisheries promotion projects, and private experts in the fisheries and food sectors participated to discuss effective regulatory relief measures for recycling seafood byproducts.

The Gyeongnam Free Zone is designated to create a high value-added industrial ecosystem through the recycling of seafood byproducts in Korea. Fourteen free zone operators, including the anchor company Dongwon F&B and the specialized fisheries university, National Gyeongsang University, participate to establish standards for recycling seafood byproducts.

At this meeting, the following were discussed: ▲ Dongwon F&B’s plan to recycle 46,000 tons of tuna byproducts by part (current recycling rate 13% → target 70%) ▲ cooperation plans between the Ministry of Environment (Korea Environment Corporation) and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (Korea Fisheries Infrastructure Public Agency) to establish recycling standards by seafood byproduct parts (draft) ▲ legislative measures for the final seafood byproduct recycling plan.

Additionally, companies that passed the preliminary round of the Seafood Byproduct Recycling Competition, hosted by Gyeongsangnam-do and Dongwon F&B, also participated in this meeting. Companies that passed the preliminaries will receive consulting support from a professional mentor group composed of experts in various fields such as seafood byproduct industry, technology, marketing, and law. In particular, through ‘CORN,’ a customized mentoring program of the Gyeongnam Center for Creative Economy and Innovation, successful market entry will be encouraged.

Ryu Seon-mi, Director of the Free Zone Operation Division at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, said, “We hope many successful cases of seafood byproduct recycling will be discovered through the Gyeongnam Free Zone, and we will continue cooperation with government ministries, Gyeongsangnam-do, and private experts to revitalize the recycling of seafood byproducts.”