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Cleaning Up Underwater Trash with Civilian Divers in the Uljin Marine Protected Area

  • Date

    2026.04.02.

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Cleaning Up Underwater Trash with Civilian Divers in the Uljin Marine Protected Area
  •  Cooperation with private environmental organizations in the private sector to protect the habitat of Asian surfgrass (Phyllospadix japonicus), a marine protected species


  The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) announced that it will conduct a public-private underwater cleanup activity on March 25 in the waters surrounding Nagok-ri, Uljin, Gyeongsangbuk Province—a marine protected area—in collaboration with a private environmental organization to protect the habitat of Asian surfgrass, a marine protected species.

  * A type of seagrass commonly known as surfgrass, characterized by flowering and bearing fruit underwater.

  MOF and Korea Marine Environment Management Corporation (KOEM) are implementing a submerged waste collection project targeting sea areas with high conservation value in terms of marine environmental conservation. In particular, they are transitioning from a mechanized collection method focused on volume to an eco-friendly approach that uses civilian divers for underwater cleanup. Last year, they conducted public-private underwater cleanup activities in locations such as Jodo in Gangwon (May), Munseom in Jeju (July), and Namae-ri in Gangwon (September), resulting in the collection of over 800 kg of discarded fishing gear.

  The waters of Nagok-ri in Uljin—where the cleanup activity will take place—are home to a large habitat of Asian surfgrass, a marine protected species, and are considered to have high ecological value; hence the need for active management. For the cleanup activity, 15 professional divers from the private environmental organization Ocean Campus will be deployed to collect abandoned fishing gear including discarded nets, traps, and ropes left within the protected marine area.

  In particular, to ensure the safety of underwater workers during this activity, they have established safety measures including deploying highly skilled professional divers at the Advanced* or higher level and assigning safety instructors.

  * Intermediate-level qualification enabling advanced diving, including adaptation to depth and environment, after completing basic diving training.

  “I would like to express my gratitude to the private divers who voluntarily stepped forward to protect the waters off Nagok-ri, Uljin, which serve as a habitat for protected marine species. As this public-private collaborative underwater cleanup activity is scheduled to be publicized through videos and other means, I hope it will serve as an opportunity to raise public awareness regarding marine environmental protection,” said Hwang Jun-sung, Director General of Marine Environment Policy at MOF.
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