Expansion of Fishing Gear and Buoy Deposit System Legislative Notice of Partial Amendments of Subordinate Legislation of the Fisheries Act

 The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF; Minister Kang Do-hyung) announced that it has prepared partial amendments to the Enforcement Decree and Enforcement Rules of the Fisheries Act to prescribe the necessary matters for expanding the fishing gear and buoy deposit system, and that a legislative notice would be available for 40 days from Monday, May 12 to Friday, June 20.

 MOF completely amended the Fisheries Act in 2022 to introduce the Fishing Gear and Buoy Deposit System* and established a system for the full-cycle management of fishing gear and buoys and voluntary recovery of discarded fishing gear to preserve the marine environment and protect fishery resources. The deposit system for fish traps has been implemented as a first step since January 12, 2024, and the scope of application will be expanded to include gillnets, buoys, and eel traps beginning January 1, 2026.

 * A system wherein fishermen deposit a certain amount of money when purchasing fishing gear and buoys and get back the money upon returning the fishing gear after use

 In keeping with the expansion of application of the deposit system, MOF has also established standards and implementation measures such as the deposit amount, tag attachment method, and handling fees for fishing gear and buoys subject to the expanded application through research on detailed operation plans and collection of opinions from fishermen and businesses subject to deposit (fishing gear manufacturers and importers).

 The prescription of the amended subordinate legislation includes: ▲expanding the scope of the deposit system from the existing fish traps to gillnets, buoys, and eel traps; ▲establishing standards for the deposit amount for each type of fishing gear and buoy; and ▲establishing grounds for payment of rewards for reports of noncompliance with the deposit system. MOF plans to make the system more effective by broadly gathering opinions from fishermen through on-site local briefing sessions and surveys during the legislative notice period and by determining the amount of the guarantee.

 “This amendment was prepared as a follow-up to the Fishing Gear Circulation Management Measures to Prevent Abandoned Fishing Gear (Sep. 2024), reflecting specific matters for implementing the expanded fishing gear and buoy deposit system. We expect the deposit system to serve as the foundation for protecting the marine environment and sustainable fishing industries in the future. We will continue to explain and communicate the main contents and purpose of the system to establish the deposit system, and we ask for the active cooperation and interest of fishermen,” Minister Kang Do-hyung said.