- Launching the ODA project for the development of fishing villages in Tuvalu, Korea’s key pelagic fishing base, on November 3rd - 

 The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (Minister Cho Seung Hwan) announced that it will be hosting the launching ceremony of the Tuvalu Fishing Village Official Development Assistance (ODA) project on November 3rd (Friday, local time) in Tuvalu’s capital Funafuti. The ceremony will be attended by roughly 500 guests, including Deputy Minister Song Myeong-dal of the Marine Policy Office at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries representing Korea, as well as the Prime Minister and cabinet ministers of Tuvalu.

 Tuvalu is a small island nation with a population of 10,000. However, the waters of the Pacific islands that include Tuvalu and Kiribati are key fishing grounds that account for 50% of the pelagic fisheries production of Korea.

 Against this backdrop, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries signed an MoU on Tuvalu Fishing Village Development Project with Korea Rural Community Corporation in September 2022 to transfer Korea’s fishing village development expertise and to help improve the capabilities of the fishing village residents in Tuvalu, and decided on the implementation of the Tuvalu Fishing Village Official Development Assistance project, which aims to provide funding for essential living infrastructure for the Tuvaluan fishing population. Over the next four years (2023 to 2026), the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries will invest a total of KRW 6.7 billion in Tuvalu to build fishing boat berth facilities, install solar power generation facilities at fish markets, and build community centers to provide fishing training for residents.