“I Protect My Fishing Grounds,” Fishermen-led Waste Fishing Gear Collection Project to Begin in Full Scale

MOF to launch fisher-led project for fishermen on April 23

Government to subsidize costs for collecting and processing waste fishing gear (nets, ropes, traps, etc.) based on collection performance

 The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF; Minister Kang Do-hyung) disclosed that it will begin full-scale implementation of the Fishermen-Participatory Waste Fishing Gear Collection Project on Wednesday, April 23 jointly with the Korea Fisheries Infrastructure Public Agency (FIPA; Chairman Hong Jong-wook).

 This fishing ground cleaning project is directly participated in by fishermen collecting waste fishing gear from fishing grounds during seasonal fishing bans or off-seasons when fishing activities are restricted. By encouraging fishermen to take ownership of cleaning their fishing grounds, the project aims to enhance the sustainability of fisheries resources while improving accountability and effectiveness with regard to marine environmental restoration.

 The project competition will accept applications from Wednesday, April 23 to Friday, May 9. Inshore fishermen's organizations intending to participate can submit applications through the relevant metropolitan or local governments.

 Selected organizations will receive differentiated subsidies including fuel and labor costs based on their collection performance, with the government to cover 100% of the cost of processing the collected waste fishing gear.

 "This project of collecting discarded fishing gear with the participation of fishermen is the first step for fishermen to manage their own fishing grounds and is expected to be an exemplary case of a fishermen-led marine environment improvement policy. It is meaningful that small actions by fishermen can create big changes to marine ecosystems. MOF will continue working with fishermen to create a clean, healthy ocean in the future," Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Kang Do-hyung said.