- A budget of 6.3365 trillion won was drawn for the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries for 2022 -

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries submitted a 2022 budget bill totaling KRW 6.3365 trillion relating to the marine and fisheries industries. This is an increase of KRW 173.7 billion(2.8%) from the 2021 main budget of KRW 6.1628 trillion. When considering the budget transferred to local governing entities since the implementation of the decentralized local fiscal management policy, this is a nearly 5.6% increase year-on-year.

 

● By sector, 2.8005 trillion won(4.7% increase year-on-year) was allocated on fisheries‧fishing villages, 2.0074 trillion won on the shipping and port(4.9% decrease year-on-year), 986.7 billion won on the shipping logistics and others(9.5% increase year-on-year), 296.7 billion won on the marine environment(10.5% increase year-on-year), 826.2 billion won on the Research and Development(5.6% increase year-on-year) .

 

● With the implementation of the decentralized local fiscal management policy, the shipping and port sector has witnessed a reduction in its budget(KRW 1.5896 trillion→KRW 1.498 trillion, △5.8%) as the budget(KRW 165.7 billion won) for locally managed ports are reallocated to local governments starting from next year, resulting in a decreased budget for port SOC. When calculated after deducting the amount transferred out to local government entities, the shipping and port sector has seen a 3.3% increase.

 

● Moreover, to deliver carbon neutrality by 2050 in an effort to fully respond to climate change, a budget bill of KRW 30.2 billion was drawn for the marine fisheries sector(six projects) as part of the newly upcoming Climate Response Fund(Ministry of Economy and Finance, KRW 2.5 trillion).

 

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries prepared the 2022 budget bill with core focuses on     ① responses to protect withering fishing villages and to revive the coastal economy,      ② full-fledged promotion of carbon neutrality and reductions in marine waste, ③ responses to contaminated water from Fukushima and enhanced safety in marine fisheries, and   ④ digital transformation and enhanced competitiveness of oceans and fisheries.

 

1. Respond to protect withering fishing villages and Provide support to revive the coastal economy.

 

The Ministry will respond to concerns over withering coastal and fishing villages, including the issues of decreasing fishing populations and accelerated ageing, and provide support to revive the coastal economy, by securing cultural and tourism infrastructure by region and port SOC.
  
(1) Responses to protect withering fishing villages : (‘21) KRW 635 billion→(’22)KRW 647.9 billion(KRW 12.9 billion, 2.0% increase)

 

To respond to the issue of withering fishing villages, the Ministry will work to resolve the factors that drive people away from or limit their return to fishing villages, such as job shortages and poor quality of life, and plans to improve the inflow of youth and uplift the vitality of villages by providing phased customized support for those returning to villages.

 

(Settlement conditions) First, as part of the pilot project (6 locations, KRW 5.9 billion) for the implementation of Post-Fishing Village New Deal, the Ministry will roll out a new Fishing Village Vitality Promotion Project and select 50 new locations(250 locations →300 locations) for the existing Fishing Village New Deal 300 Project to support a revival of fishing villages.

 

(Income and welfare) Moreover, to stabilize the income of fishing populations and to build a sustainable fishery base, the Support for Direct Payments to Promote Fisheries Public Interest(KRW 51.5 billion → KRW 55.9 billion) will be expanded.

 

● Special medical check ups (1,500 individuals, KRW 400 million) for the female fishing population, who are exposed to higher risks of musculoskeletal disorders due to barehanded and underwater fishing, will also be introduced.

 

● In addition, the foundation for inclusion will be enhanced by providing partial medical insurance support(KRW 2.3 billion) for foreign fishing laborers and support to secure more welfare centers (2 new centers, 9 in total). Support for island regions will also be expanded, including fare waiver support for preschool children in island regions(50,000 users per year), and additional support for coastal passenger routes.

 

(Securing youth populations in fishing villages) To relieve the burden on returning fishers, the Ministry will promote the Youth Boat Rental Program(KRW 450 million, 10 boats) and the ‘Homes for Returning Fishers’ Project(KRW 150 million, 10 locations) , as well as provide support via the ‘Technical Education Project for Urban Populations’(KRW 840 million, 6 locations), which provides education subsidies for those enrolled in schools for returning fishers.

 

● Support for the settlement of youth in their early business stages(200→220returners, 1.6→1.7 billion won) will be increased to promote more inflow of youth into fishing villages and to create more jobs.

 

(2) Revival of the coastal economy : (’21)KRW 1.8105 trillion→ (’22) KRW1.9117 trillion(101.2 billion, 5.6% increase)

 

To accommodate the increased demand in marine leisure and tourism, the Ministry will support the establishment of marine tourism hubs by region and continue to invest in port SOC to improve the competitiveness of ports.

 

There will be increased investments (48.1→56.7 billion won) for building tourism infrastructure, customized for each region, including marine leisure tourism hubs and marine care centers, in line with the characteristics of each region, such as marine treatment and eco-tourism.

 

● The efforts to build marine(@ Incheon) and science museums(@ Cheongju) to promote marine culture will continue and marina hub ports(6.5→15.3 billion won) will be developed to energize the depressed coastal economy.

 

The Ministry will continue to drive the improve hub port infrastructure and construct smart ports to align with global shipping trends towards larger vessels and port automation.

 

● Port safety facilities will be expanded in preparation against the increased risk of natural disasters, including typhoons, due to climate change. Also, to respond to the demand for functional upgrades of ports, port SOC investments(KRW 1.498 trillion) will continue, including the redevelopment of the North Busan port.

 

● Moreover, investments in fishery ports(KRW 263.9 billion) will continue to provide better convenience and added safety for the fishing activities of the fishing population.

 

2. Drive full-fledged efforts to deliver carbon neutrality in the marine and fisheries sector and to strengthen marine environment protection

 

To build a sustainable and healthy marine environment, the Ministry will drive full-fledged efforts to deliver carbon neutrality in the marine and fisheries sector and to reduce marine waste.

 

(1)  Carbon neutrality: (’21)KRW333.9billion→(’22)KRW456.2 billion (122.3 billion, 36.6% increase)

 

Promote the supply of eco-friendly ships and carbon neutralization of coastal or marine environments at full capacity in response to climate change and the enhanced environmental controls put in place by the global community.

 (Migration to Green Ships) Start the transformation towards eco-friendly ships(KRW 206.5 billion) in the public sector, by building 28 eco-friendly (powered by LNG or hybrid energy) local government vessels and installing air pollution reduction devices(KRW 6 billion) on 30 local government ships built less than 10 years ago.

 

● In addition, increase support(23.1→26.5 billion won)for the supply of eco-friendly ships in the private sector, including for vessels used for both international and domestic routes.

 

● The Ministry will also roll out the development of eco-friendly technologies for the advancement of hydrogen & ammonia ship technology, including the ‘development of eco-friendly vessel life-cycle innovation technology’(‘22~’31, KRW 254 billion in total, jointly driven by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Ministry of Industry) and the ‘development of greenhouse gas reduction devices(KRW 3.4 billion) to be installed on all small and medium-sized ships.’

 

(Coastal and marine carbon neutrality) The Ministry will newly initiate the Mud Flat Reforestation project(2 locations, KRW 1.5 billion) to create colonies of halophyte vegetation on mud flats and enhance marine forestation to secure carbon sinks in coastal areas.

 

● Moreover, a mud flat survey(KRW 500 million) is to be carried out and an integrated system(KRW 200 million) is to be established for the management of natural world heritage to systematically manage and preserve ‘Korean mud flats,’ the carbon sink reserve inscribed as World Heritage(‘21.7).

 

● The Ministry also plans to drive the development of clean energy, through research and development on marine energy facility-driven green hydrogen production technology(‘22~’25, 3.1 billion won(‘22), 25 billion won in total), including a feasibility study(‘22~’23, KRW 400 million) for the expansion of the Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Plant and the Jeju Wave Power Plant.

(2) Marine Environment Protection : (’21)KRW134.6 billion→ (’22)KRW 196.4 billion (61.7 billion, 45.9% increase)

 

Marine waste, known to be the main cause of marine pollution and accidents, will be actively reduced to create a healthy marine environment.

 

● Evolving from the previous waste management strategy focused mainly on collection and treatment, a lifecycle management framework is to be implemented that pushes for the systematic reduction of the marine waste, which covers everything from the prevention of marine waste to its collection, treatment, technology development and expansion of infrastructure.
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 (Reduced waste production) Styrofoam buoys, the main culprit behind marine microplastics, shall be converted into eco-friendly buoys, and the supply of biodegradable fishing gear shall be increased to reduce the amount of marine waste produced.

 

(Collection and treatment) The collection and treatment of marine waste(3,000→6,000 ton, 10.8→16.9 billion won) and fishing gear on the ocean floor is to be reinforced.

 

● The number of marine environment protection agents are to be increased to enhance waterfront waste management and support for the treatment of marine waste(0.5→1.5billion won) from disaster recovery will also be increased.

 

 (Foundation for the response to marine pollution) Multi-purpose disaster control vessels(a 5,000-ton capacity, 16→26.9 billion won) are to be constructed, to improve disaster prevention/control operations during large-scale marine pollution accidents.

 

● In accordance with international agreements, the modernization of legacy waste oil storage facilities installed within trade ports shall be carried out.

 

● There will be continued improvements to marine pollution response infrastructure, including enhanced management of residual oil from sunken ships to prevent secondary pollution.(2→3ships, 3.7→6.7 billion won)

3. Respond to the contaminated water from the Fukushima and Consolidate Safety in Oceans and Fisheries sector

 

The Ministry will increase its investments in the safety of the marine and fisheries sector, in response to Japan’s ‘decision to discharge contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant’, and to prevent accidents involving port workers.

 

(1) Responses to the contaminated water :(’21)KRW 82.7 billion→(’22)KRW 93.2 billion (10.5 billion, 12.7% increase)

 

Under the guiding principle of protecting the health and safety of our people, increased budgets will be allocated towards monitoring of the inflow of the contaminated water discharged from the Fukushima power plant, the management of seafood safety, and its stable supply and demand.

 

(Inflow monitoring) The monitoring of radioactivity will be enhanced for coastal waters, by increasing the number of monitoring points(39→45 locations) of major sea regions to ensure stricter monitoring of the inflow of such contaminated water.(1.8→3.9 billion won)

 

(Seafood safety) The Ministry will endeavor to provide wholesale marketplaces(10 locations), the main gateways of seafood distribution, with radiation inspection devices and introduce the radiation inspection framework(KRW 3.3 billion) as requested via a national petition to reinforce the inspections of seafood radiation.

 

● The Ministry plans to build an environment where consumers can consume seafood without worry, by enhancing the monitoring of the distribution history of imported seafood by using an app and also connect this history management system with the Suhyup wholesale information management system to boost monitoring of the history management of domestically produced seafood.

 (Supply and demand stability) The Ministry will expand its reserve capacity(70.8→75.7 billion won) in preparation for the likelihood of depressed seafood consumption, to prevent drastic price drops and minimize consequent losses.

 

(2) Safety Consolidation:(’21)KRW 143.4 billion → (’22)KRW 203.5 billion (60.1 billion, 41.9% increase)

 

In consideration of the changing circumstances inherent in marine transportation and logistics, including increases in port traffic and leisure activities, additional safety investments will be made within the marine and fisheries sector, including measures to prevent port disasters and ensure safe navigation.

 

(Work safety) The Ministry will support the installation of accident prevention equipment(KRW 3.1 billion) for workers at loading docks to prevent port safety accidents and to induce private investment in safety.

 

● Various accident prevention measures for port workers will be implemented, including the placement of port safety inspection officers, enhanced safety training, and proactive supply of safety devices and facilities.

 

(Navigation safety) The Ministry will invest in safety infrastructure for improved ship navigation, by providing support for a marine transportation safety information network(17.7→23.7 billion won), such as e-Nav, and commencing development of a Korean satellite navigation system.(16.3 billion won)

 

● The Ministry plans to also reinforce ship safety management by supporting the implementation of smart ship safety support centers.

 

(Coastal safety) The establishment of the Coastal Port Disaster Prevention Research Center(@ Gangwon, KRW 11.8 billion) is the starting point for strengthening responses to natural disasters.

 

● In addition, there will be increased investments in coastal maintenance projects(47.1→59.3 billion won) to convert areas exposed to risks of coastal erosion and disasters into safe, water-friendly spaces.

4. Support the digital transformation of the traditional marine and fisheries sector and Enhance its competitiveness

 

By leveraging ICT integration, the Ministry will support the digital transformation of the traditional marine and fisheries sector and enhance its competitiveness by fostering innovative industries and building the necessary infrastructure.

 

(1) Digital Transformation : (’21)KRW 61.3 billion → (’22)KRW 95.3 billion (34 billion won, 55.5% increase)

 

Create new growth engines and boost productivity of the marine and fisheries sector by supporting the digital transformation of all fields of shipping and ports as well as fisheries and fishing villages.

 

Support the digitalization of ports and logistics, by building the foundation for safe management of port facilities by using Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and by building more smart joint distribution centers at port sites(1→2 locations, Incheon•Busan).

 

 (Fisheries and distribution) Accelerate the transformation towards a smart aquaculture industry(22.6→32.3 billion won) by building smart aquaculture clusters (5→6 locations) through the integration of big data and AI technology within aqua farms and by increasing the number of reclaimed clean aqua farms(4→8 locations).

 

● Continue to promote the future generation of the fisheries sector by introducing fresh seafood distribution(7.6→8.3 billion won) and flow-through digital aqua farming(5 billion won).

 

(2) Enhancement of industrial competitiveness : (’21)KRW 119.8 billion → (’22) KRW 197.1 billion (77.3 billion, 64.6% increase)

 

Foster innovative industries, including the marine bio-industry and build the foundation for active small and medium venture investments to create new growth engines of the future.

(Fostering innovative industries) Strengthen the support for small and medium venture businesses and their investments by expanding capital contributions to the maritime and fisheries development fund(17→27 billion won), supporting the commercialization of new technologies(KRW 4.9 billion), and expanding the startup investment support center(6→7 locations).

 

● The Ministry will continue to drive the building of an infrastructure base for new industries(12.6→24.4 billion won), including the ‘Industry-Academia-Research Center Collaboration Center for Marine Science and Technology(@ Busan)’ and the ‘Marine Bio-Industrialization Incubator.(@ Seocheon)’

 

● Moreover, the Ministry will continue to nurture locally based professional talent in the field of marine and fisheries that combines 4th wave industrial revolution technologies, such as ICT, with marine and fisheries technologies.

 

(Enhancing industrial competitiveness) The Ministry will actively promote the reconstruction of the shipping industry, including additional investments(KRW 30 billion) in the Korea Maritime Promotion Corporation to enhance the business of Korean shipowners.

 

● In addition, fishery food export complexes will be continuously established(1→30 billion won) to support the creation of high added-value in the fisheries industry, and a safe seafood distribution environment will be promoted by modernizing the Busan Joint Fish Market(3.9 billion won) and building modernized models of wholesale markets(2 locations).

 

● A long with the aforementioned, more support will be provided to local exporters to enter the global market by providing export vouchers to foster global seafood exporters(3.1→ 5 billion won), marketing support to enter the contactless distribution market(5.3→6.5 billion won), and support to promote K-brands in connection with the Korean cultural wave(2.1 billion won).

 

The Minister of Oceans and Fisheries MOON, Seong-Hyeok stated that “(the Ministry) will increase support for reviving coastal areas and fishing villages that have been faced with the recent, drastic decreases in fishing populations and the impact of the prolonged pandemic, and plans to focus its investments in the digital transformation of the marine and fisheries sector and creation of new growth engines.

 

● The Minister of Oceans and Fisheries MOON, Seong-Hyeok stated that “(the Ministry) will increase support for reviving coastal areas and fishing villages that have been faced with the recent, drastic decreases in fishing populations and the impact of the prolonged pandemic, and plans to focus its investments in the digital transformation of the marine and fisheries sector and creation of new growth engines.