Full-scale Operation of Guryongpo Marine Fishing Park... Emerging as a New Model for Fishing Village Experience Tourism
Mayor Lee: "The Smart Salmon Aquaculture Cluster Will Foster a Future Growth Engine for the Region"
On July 16, Lee Gangdeok, mayor of Pohang, visited major fisheries-related project sites in the Guryongpo and Janggi areas to check the progress of ongoing initiatives and to engage in discussions with local residents and stakeholders.
Lee Gangdeok, mayor of Pohang, is inspecting major fisheries-related projects in the Guryongpo and Janggi areas on the 16th. Photo by Pohang City
On this day, Mayor Lee first toured the Marine Fishing Theme Park, which has been established in Byeongpo-ri and Seokbyeong-ri, Guryongpo-eup. He stated, "Experience- and stay-type tourism projects that utilize fishing village resources are an important strategy for revitalizing the local economy," and urged, "Please make efforts and pay attention so that these projects do not remain as short-term achievements but can be established as a sustainable model for the fishing village economy."
Regarding the recent remodeling of the existing embankment-type aquaculture facilities, he added, "This will help establish a virtuous cycle for marine resources and serve as a foundation for attracting stay-type tourists to fishing villages."
The Guryongpo Marine Fishing Theme Park, which has been transformed from an aging embankment-type aquaculture facility into a complex tourism site offering fishing, fish farming, and seafood experiences, has been developed as a fishing village experience-type tourist destination. From 2022 to this year, a total of 2.16 billion won (280 million won from the province, 660 million won from the city, and 1.22 billion won in self-funding) has been invested to provide fishing experiences, sashimi preparation services, and local specialty cooking experiences all in one place, with a full range of convenience facilities.
Mayor Lee then visited the site of the Salmon Smart Aquaculture Cluster project, which is being developed in the Janggi-myeon area, to inspect the construction progress.
Han Heeseung, chairman of Mirae Aquafarm, also accompanied the visit to share the overall status of the project and discuss future plans. Mayor Lee emphasized the importance of public-private cooperation and called for close collaboration to ensure smooth project implementation.
This project, which was selected in 2021 through a Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries competition, is being developed in the Janggi-myeon area on a total site of 224,140 square meters. Of this, the testbed site covers 28,570 square meters, and the commercial aquaculture support site covers 195,570 square meters.
The testbed, which began construction in October last year, is currently 50% complete, with groundworks and seawater intake and discharge pipeline installations finished. Architectural and civil engineering work for tank installation is scheduled to be completed by November, followed by auxiliary construction, with the goal of completing the facility by December this year.
At this facility, 1,000 tons of Atlantic salmon are expected to be produced and shipped annually using smart technology based on the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In particular, smart aquaculture technologies such as disease prediction systems and growth management utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) will be implemented.
The city also plans to establish a salmon aquaculture specialized complex, a comprehensive cluster that will connect processing, equipment, and research and development functions centered around the smart aquaculture facility.
Mayor Lee Gangdeok stated, "Smart aquaculture is a core technology that will dramatically enhance the productivity and competitiveness of the fisheries industry," and added, "We will focus all our capabilities on developing the Pohang Salmon Smart Aquaculture Cluster into a future growth engine for the region and transforming Pohang into a world-class smart aquaculture hub city."
Pohang City plans to continue promoting various projects aimed at creating a sustainable fisheries ecosystem, with a dual focus on revitalizing marine tourism and fostering the smart fisheries industry.
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