MOF to Expand Marine Biomaterial Distribution to Revitalize the Maritime Bio Industry

Improvement of marine biomaterial distribution standards including expansion of annual allotment limit for ocean and fisheries biogenetic resources from 20 to 200 points

 The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF; Minister Kang Do-hyung) announced that it will significantly expand the allotment quantity of marine biomaterials to revitalize the maritime bio industry.

 * Marine organisms and aquatic plants and animals inhabit the water, and information is derived from them including biological and genetic resources.

 The maritime bioindustry is a new industry with unlimited growth given the development of high value-added products such as health functional foods and cosmetics that utilize the genetic resources of marine organisms such as fish, shellfish, and seaweed. In particular, some marine microorganisms that have adapted to extreme environments such as high salinity, high heat, and high pressure possess unique substances, so they are expected to contribute to solving complex problems for mankind such as aging and dementia.

 MOF has secured marine and fishery life resources used as marine biomaterials and established the Marine Biobank as a material bank infrastructure through efficacy analysis. They are being distributed free of charge for testing, research, and education.

 Given the recent continuous annual demand for marine biomaterials, the maximum allotment quantity for marine biomaterials per time and year has increased by up to 10 times. Accordingly, the allotment limit has been increased from a maximum of 20 to 200 items annually for marine genetic resources and from 50 to 100 items annually for extracts.

 “We expect this system improvement to induce more research on marine biomaterials and contribute to the development of the marine bioindustry. We will strive to supply marine biomaterials that are useful to our lives through continuous and systematic management of marine and fishery bioresources,” Minister Kang Do-hyung said.