Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial Council Receives Minister of the Interior and Safety Commendation for Enacting 'Eco-Friendly Fishing Gear Ordinance'

The Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial Council (Chairman Park Seongman) announced on the 2nd that it had received an institutional commendation from the Minister of the Interior and Safety.

This commendation was awarded in recognition of the council's achievement at the "2025 Local Council Best Practices Competition" hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, where the "Ordinance on Promoting the Use of Eco-Friendly Fishing Gear to Protect the Marine Ecosystem of Gyeongsangbuk-do," the first of its kind in the country, was selected as an outstanding case.

Members of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Council are gathered in one place for a commemorative photo.

In particular, this ordinance led to immediate results: just after its enactment in March, a supplementary budget of 330 million won was allocated in June, allowing eco-friendly fishing gear to be supplied to 25 fishing vessels in the Yeongdeok and Uljin regions. Furthermore, the main budget for 2026 has been significantly increased to 1.1 billion won, with plans to supply eco-friendly fishing gear to 139 vessels across four cities and counties.

According to the Korea Maritime Institute (KMI), ghost fishing-where fish and other marine life die after becoming trapped in abandoned fishing nets-causes annual economic losses of 400 billion won, amounting to 10% of the nation's fisheries production value. There are also an average of 378 cases of vessel propeller entanglement accidents per year. In this serious situation, the ordinance has been highly praised as a case that demonstrates tangible results, from securing a budget to implementing projects, proving that legislative activities by local councils can directly benefit residents' daily lives.

Meanwhile, the 12th Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial Council (July 2022-present) has handled over 700 ordinance bills, demonstrating active legislative activity. Notably, more than 600 of these were initiated by council members, reflecting proactive, member-driven legislative work. The council has also actively represented local issues and residents' voices through 81 provincial government inquiries and 118 five-minute speeches.

Chairman Park Seongman stated, "This commendation from the Minister of the Interior and Safety recognizes the achievements of the 12th Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial Council in working together with the residents. We will continue to proactively identify local issues and, through practical legislative activities, do our utmost to improve the quality of life for residents and contribute to the development of Gyeongsangbuk-do."