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Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries Plans 3rd Operation to Guide Dusky Shark Bukang-i Back to Sea
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Date
2026.10.26.
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Hit
65
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Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries Plans 3rd Operation to Guide Dusky Shark Bukang-i Back to Sea
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF; Minister Hwang Jong-woo) announced that it would be carrying out a third joint operation to guide Bukang-i back to the open sea tomorrow, October 21 with related agencies including Busan Metropolitan City and National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea to guide the dusky shark staying in the artificial waterway of the Busan North Port Waterfront Park safely back to the open sea. The date was chosen because no cruise ship operations are scheduled for the day and the temperature is expected to drop sharply on October 22.
Bukang-i is a dusky shark about 3 meters long and was first discovered on September 18 in the waterway of Busan North Port Waterfront Park. Authorities have attempted to guide it to the open sea twice so far and have continued to monitor its health and behavior since then.
On October 19, MOF held an advisory meeting attended by representatives from the National Institute of Fisheries Science and the National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea, as well as experts in sharks and veterinary medicine. Experts agreed that the shark needs to be guided back to the open sea promptly considering habitat conditions such as limited depth of the artificial waterway and future drops in water temperature.
A countermeasures meeting was held near Busan Station at 10:00 A.M. on October 20 with the participation of 10 related agencies including MOF, Busan Metropolitan City, National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea, National Institute of Fisheries Science, Busan Port Authority, and Busan Infrastructure Corporation to discuss detailed action plans as well as the roles of each agency.
The operation to induce the shark to the open sea is scheduled to begin this afternoon with a preliminary survey of the seabed topography and obstacles at the waterway entrance using underwater drones, followed by equipment installation tomorrow morning and inducement operation to the open sea in the afternoon.
The third open-sea inducement operation will address the limitations identified in the first and second operations—such as waterway topography and water depth—by fixing nets to a pontoon (a floating facility for on-water operations) and gradually moving the nets in step with the shark as it moves toward the open sea. After the shark passes, the nets will prevent it from reentering the inner waterway, guiding it toward the open sea.
During the operation, the plan is to monitor Bukang-i's condition and movement patterns continuously to minimize stress to the shark and prioritize the safety of workers and park visitors.
“We will do our best to ensure that Bukang-i can safely move to the open sea by closely cooperating with the relevant agencies based on expert opinions. We ask citizens to refrain from actions that could hinder the guiding operation to the open sea and to observe access restrictions and follow instructions from safety personnel,” said Hwang Joon-seong, Director General of Marine Environment Policy at MOF.
- Concerns over the deteriorating health of Bukang-i due to unconfirmed feeding activity and falling water temperature
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF; Minister Hwang Jong-woo) announced that it would be carrying out a third joint operation to guide Bukang-i back to the open sea tomorrow, October 21 with related agencies including Busan Metropolitan City and National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea to guide the dusky shark staying in the artificial waterway of the Busan North Port Waterfront Park safely back to the open sea. The date was chosen because no cruise ship operations are scheduled for the day and the temperature is expected to drop sharply on October 22.
Bukang-i is a dusky shark about 3 meters long and was first discovered on September 18 in the waterway of Busan North Port Waterfront Park. Authorities have attempted to guide it to the open sea twice so far and have continued to monitor its health and behavior since then.
On October 19, MOF held an advisory meeting attended by representatives from the National Institute of Fisheries Science and the National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea, as well as experts in sharks and veterinary medicine. Experts agreed that the shark needs to be guided back to the open sea promptly considering habitat conditions such as limited depth of the artificial waterway and future drops in water temperature.
A countermeasures meeting was held near Busan Station at 10:00 A.M. on October 20 with the participation of 10 related agencies including MOF, Busan Metropolitan City, National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea, National Institute of Fisheries Science, Busan Port Authority, and Busan Infrastructure Corporation to discuss detailed action plans as well as the roles of each agency.
The operation to induce the shark to the open sea is scheduled to begin this afternoon with a preliminary survey of the seabed topography and obstacles at the waterway entrance using underwater drones, followed by equipment installation tomorrow morning and inducement operation to the open sea in the afternoon.
The third open-sea inducement operation will address the limitations identified in the first and second operations—such as waterway topography and water depth—by fixing nets to a pontoon (a floating facility for on-water operations) and gradually moving the nets in step with the shark as it moves toward the open sea. After the shark passes, the nets will prevent it from reentering the inner waterway, guiding it toward the open sea.
During the operation, the plan is to monitor Bukang-i's condition and movement patterns continuously to minimize stress to the shark and prioritize the safety of workers and park visitors.
“We will do our best to ensure that Bukang-i can safely move to the open sea by closely cooperating with the relevant agencies based on expert opinions. We ask citizens to refrain from actions that could hinder the guiding operation to the open sea and to observe access restrictions and follow instructions from safety personnel,” said Hwang Joon-seong, Director General of Marine Environment Policy at MOF.
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