- Exporting Eco-friendly Fishing Net Filaments to the US via Technology Transfer -

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea (Minister: MOON, Seong-Hyeok) announced that a Korean company export bio-degradable fishing nets to the US by means of technology transfer. The biodegradable fishing net production technology was developed to reduce environmental issues caused by ghost fishing and protect the marine ecosystem.

The National Institute of Fisheries Science, an organization under the umbrella of the Ministry, developed patented technology for high-quality biodegradable fishing nets and transferred the technology to ANKOR Bioplastics, a Korean materials manufacturer, in 2020 to help export the technology overseas. At the request from buyers that sell fishing lines in the US, ANKOR produced biodegradable fishing net filaments and started to export them beginning in January 2022.

The fishing nets exported to the US buyers have same strength and flexibility comparable to existing fishing lines, and are decomposed into water and carbon dioxide by microorganisms after a certain amount of time in the ocean.

The exported fishing nets are expected to be widely used for both freshwater and saltwater fishing purposes. The products are now sold in offline and online stores, including on Amazon.

Choi Yong-Seok, the director-general for fishery resources at the Ministry, said “the export signifies the worldwide recognition of Korea’s leading technology in biodegradable fishing net production that helps protect the marine environment.” He added that “the Ministry will beef up promotion of biodegradable fishing nets and stress their excellence and necessity through seminars and international patent applications. The Ministry will also increase support for Korean exporters in this field.”

<Decomposed surface of biodegradable fishing nets by time immersed in saltwater>

<Biodegradable fishing lines and gillnets sold on Amazon>