Questions/Answers

Marine debris is increasing every day, reducing fishery resources by threatening the survival of marine life and causing maritime accidents and ghost fishing, while tiny bits of microplastics threaten human health. The growing need for environmental preservation for the good of mankind and natural ecosystems requires an efficient and systematic program for collecting and processing marine debris. This initiative aims to establish a prompt and systematic response system for the production of marine debris. To minimize the occurrence of marine debris, we plan to implement preventive policies and integrated management to promote the efficient use of resources. In particular, after an oil accident in which 12.547 million liters of crude oil were leaked due to a collision of a crane ship and an oil tanker eight kilometers northwest of Mallipo Beach in Taean-gun, Chungcheongnam-do, the demand for interest in the marine environment and marine debris-related policies increased. This initiative, entitled “Clean Marine Environment,” was carried out in three stages. The first stage is prevention to reduce the amount of marine debris that is generated; the second stage is related to the collection and storage of marine debris; and the third stage is about the transport and disposal of collected marine debris. In this project, we promoted proactive policies to minimize marine waste and implement integrated management for the efficient use of resources while working to establish a prompt and systematic response system.

To preserve and keep clean the marine environment, which is our livelihood, a place of respite, and a resource for future generations, we aim to take full responsibility as a local government. To this end, Chungcheongnam-do is promoting an integrated initiative made up of three phases: prevention of generation, collection and storage, and transportation and disposal of marine debris. In promoting this integrated approach, we aim to increase the efficiency with which we pursue SDG 14 (Life Below Water), supported by private-public cooperation and the voluntary participation of civic groups and residents of our province.

This initiative supports SDG 14 (Life Below Water). We provided marine environment education to the public and installed facilities to block land-based debris from entering the ocean as preventive measures for the protection and sustainable use of marine resources. For the efficient collection and storage of marine waste, we have employed marine waste collection personnel through the Marine Environment Helper and Ocean Environment Keeper projects. In addition, we are carrying out a project to clean up the deposited waste in the estuaries and the sea as well as coastal waste, and are working with the private sector to clean up coastal areas through the One Company to Clean One Coastal Area program. We are also in the process of constructing a waste transport ship, to increase the recycling rate of marine debris and facilitate the transport and disposal of marine debris, and a marine resource recovery center. As a result of such efforts, the collection and disposal rate of marine debris in coastal areas, the ocean, and port areas increased by an annual average of 29.9 percent from 2015 to 2019. Through the continuous promotion of these projects, we are striving to keep the marine environment healthy and clean.

We aim to make this initiative sustainable through the promotion of the social aspect of marine environment preservation. To this end, it is necessary to develop policies to reduce land waste, which becomes a source of marine debris. We continue expanding the private-sector-centered marine environment education program. As it is necessary to develop the technology for the disposal of marine debris, it is important to form a private-public-academic cooperation system. In terms of the environment, we will use resources within the available budget to address the problems caused by microplastics, which threaten people’s survival, and destruction of the marine ecosystem.

There is less urgency to address the problem of marine debris, as it is often found in invisible locations (at sea, along coastal cliffs, on beaches, and on the surface of the ocean). So, fishermen throw discarded fishing gear and fish farm materials into the sea, and people also leave waste lying along the coast or riverside. The central and local governments have been unable to provide sufficient funds and budget for the projects related to marine debris due to the lack of urgency and budget. As a local government, Chungcheongnam-do made efforts to secure funds for marine environment education on the sustainable use of sea and marine resources, public-private cooperation projects, direct collection of marine debris, infrastructure expansion, and marine debris survey projects. Furthermore, to enhance the poor private-sector cooperation, the government instituted the One Company to Clean One Coastal Area program and Coastal Clean-Up Day, drawing voluntary cooperation from citizens.

In addition to the use of various machinery and equipment to collect and dispose of marine debris, we have made efforts to reduce gender inequality by hiring personnel to collect marine waste at beaches and coastal areas that people visit on vacation and holidays. Two collection personnel projects were conducted—Marine Environment Helpers and Ocean Environment Keepers. We aimed for a gender-balanced workforce, and the two projects were carried out with a male-to-female-employee ratio of 56 to 44.

At the base level, the target group is fishers; but all people and all marine life in the food chain are included in the initiative’s overall target group. The average annual increase of 29.9 percent (2015 to 2019) in the amount of marine debris collection and disposal indicates the high effectiveness of the marine debris collection and disposal project in our province. This decrease in marine waste will increase the satisfaction of people who visit coastal areas and beaches as tourist destinations and spaces to enjoy leisure activities. Fishermen can also expect an increase in fisheries production due to the decrease in ghost fishing and increase in marine life habitat preservation. In addition, damage to and interference with the operations of fish farming facilities caused by marine debris will be reduced during fishing activities. The reduction of marine debris, which sometimes causes ship and diver accidents, can help prevent ships from sinking and other fatal accidents, and also reduce casualties. In addition, by reducing the threat of marine debris, it is possible to provide a stable growth environment for marine biomass resources.

This initiative was designed to restore the image of marine tourism in Chungcheongnam-do, which had been tarnished by abandoned fishing gear, nets, and garbage strewn about port areas. In addition, the importance of the marine environment and need for conservation projects emerged after the Taean oil accident in December 2007. Not only Chungcheongnam-do, but also its cities, counties, related agencies, and civic groups worked together to identify problems and find policy measures. These efforts were organized into the three-step process of the Clean Marine Environment initiative (prevention of waste generation → collection and storage → transport and disposal). During the planning phase, we analyzed the current situation to identify problems and designed projects to address those that required urgent attention. We expanded our manpower and equipment (loading dock, garbage truck, forklift, etc.) for collecting and disposing of marine debris in coastal waters, on the beach, and in the ocean, and we are continuing to establish the necessary infrastructure (marine debris transport vessel and marine resource recycling center) for marine waste collection and disposal. We are also cooperating with civic groups to provide marine environment preservation education to improve people’s awareness of marine debris and prevent marine debris generation. In addition, we have created a platform through which the residents of our province can be more proactive in preserving the marine environment through Coastal Clean-Up Day and the “I Clean Up the Marine Debris in My Town” project. We have been creating an implementation plan in the first quarter of every year to review and evaluate the results of the previous year’s initiative and design the plan for the current year. In addition, an annual initiative evaluation is conducted through a joint provincial-city council, which provides the province with necessary feedback.

Due to the climate crisis, frequent disasters such as typhoons and torrential rains have been generating more waste, including uprooted trees and wastes from everyday human activities, which enter the ocean via rivers and estuaries. Residents of fishing villages toss used fishing gear and buoys from fish farms into the ocean to reduce costs, making it necessary to install facilities that block land-based debris from entering the ocean and develop and propagate the use of biodegradable plastics. It is also necessary to raise awareness of the marine environment and marine waste disposal and increase the burden on those who pollute.

This initiative is innovative in that it combines people’s voluntary participation with science and technology. We promoted the cleanup of marine debris through the participation of residents of fishing villages, employees of various companies, and civil servants, who worked together on the One Company to Clean One Coastal Area, Coastal Clean-Up Day, and “I Clean Up the Marine Debris in My Town” project. In addition, we used various technologies such as drones, to monitor marine debris, facilities that block land-based debris from entering the ocean installed in estuaries, as well as waste transport vessels and a marine resource recovery center.

The Korea Marine Environment Management Corporation is using drones to identify floating oceanic debris and oil leaks on a trial basis. Namhae, in Gyeongsangnam-do, has installed temporary facilities in small streams to prevent debris from entering the ocean. Most local governments in the Republic of Korea have a cleanup day in which the residents and civil servants regularly participate as well as occasional events for picking up marine debris, which help complement our province’s initiative.

Using drone technology, it is possible to monitor, in real-time, areas that are difficult for people to get to and also collect accurate and precise spatial data. In addition, the digital administration system allows for the real-time sharing of such data. To resolve the marine debris problem for islands that are not easily accessible, we are currently drawing up the blueprint for a marine waste transport vessel. Moreover, we are also planning to construct a marine resource recovery center to resolve the difficulties involved in incinerating marine debris.

This initiative has never been implemented.

There is a high incentive for adapting this initiative, as it is systematic and integrated with divided tasks. The first stage focuses on the prevention of marine debris generation through the monitoring of marine debris, installation of debris-blocking facilities, and provision of marine environmental education, while the second stage focuses on the collection and storage of marine debris by increasing debris collection personnel and conducting joint public-private as well as public-led debris collection. The third stage focuses on the transportation and disposal of debris by planning the transportation of collected marine debris by a transport vessel (in 2022) and installation of a marine resource recovery center (2022). The effectiveness of the initiative is expected to be high. However, the budget may be problematic, given the amount of money required for the development of the infrastructure for marine waste collection and disposal. The joint implementation of the marine environment education and private-public debris collection project will produce low-cost, high-efficiency results, providing a large incentive for their implementation.

The total expenditure from 2015 to 2019 is USD 13.84 million, and 714 marine debris collection personnel have been employed from 2017 to 2020. In addition, 72 fishing villages, as well as 64 companies and organizations, have participated in the cleanup activities subject to resident-centered marine debris management. Three regional marine environment education centers have conducted marine environment education over the past three years, and two more have been designated as education centers.

The importance of preserving the marine environment amid the climate change crisis and advancing industrialization needs to be continuously promoted, taught, and suggested to central ministries, as well as local governments and residents. To expand the budget for marine debris-related projects, it is be important to form a public-private-academia cooperation system and strengthen technology development and project capacity. Passing laws that regulate the causes of marine debris and hold polluters accountable is another way of helping sustain this initiative.

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Yoon Jong-ju, a Doctor of Civil Engineering and senior researcher at the Seohaean Research Institute of the ChungNam Institute, was the evaluator of our initiative. His areas of research are the marine ecosystem and marine environment. The evaluation was conducted by measuring and analyzing quantitative performance, such as the promotion of marine debris-related projects, budgets management, and annual achievements. The comparison of the results by year, as well as comparison with other regional governments across South Korea and with other initiatives, and review of the initiative’s plans and results were carried out as part of the evaluation.

The average amount of debris collected by the metropolitan and provincial governments of Korea was compared with the average amount collected per length of coastline for the past three years. The total volume of marine debris in our province, amount of floating debris collected compared to the national average, amount of deposited debris collected, and current amount of coastal garbage collected were compared. The budgets for each type of marine waste collection project in the province were compared each year, and the budget and project indicators were used to compare our initiative with those of other metropolitan and provincial governments.

The Clean Marine Environment initiative saw an average annual growth rate of 29.9 percent in terms of marine debris collection from 2015 to 2019. In addition, the expenses for related projects saw an average annual growth rate of 42.3 percent during the same period. Chungcheongnam-do designated the nation’s first and only three regional marine environment education centers from 2017 to 2020 and educated 10,038 people. Two more institutions were designated as education centers in 2020. In 2018, the Clean Marine Environment project was selected as an excellent example of a balanced development project in Korea. From 2016 to 2017, our provincial government was selected as an excellent ocean cleanup organization for two consecutive years by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, ranked first and second in the evaluation of marine waste management capacity by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries in 2018 and 2019, recognized for our excellence in marine waste management. The sustainability of the project was promoted by increasing the budget for marine debris management, increasing the amount of marine debris collected, and promoting public-private partnership in marine environment education and cleanup projects.

There are 15 local governments in Chungcheongnam-do. The seven cities and counties with access to the sea are currently promoting the Clean Marine Environment initiative. Chungcheongnam-do provides funding and supports policies related to the initiative, and the seven cities and counties are employing personnel for marine waste collection, selecting target areas to implement the initiative, and promoting the installation and purchase of waste collection and transportation equipment. Regarding the marine environment, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, which is part of the central government of the Republic of Korea, adopted Chungcheongnam-do’s project ideas and decided to develop and support new projects, such as the Ocean Environment Keeper project and provide funds for our province’s costly marine waste cleanup project. The government-funded Korea Marine Environment Management Corporation, Korea Fisheries Infrastructure Public Agency, and Korea Maritime Institute established a mutually complementary system by conducting joint research on the marine environment, partaking in joint or commissioned cleanup projects.

For the first stage of the Clean Marine Environment initiative—the planning and implementation of the marine environment education program—the Marine Environment Research and Training Institute, a nationwide marine environment education organization, collaborated with the Oil Spill Restoration Memorial, Korean Federation for Environmental Movement, and ChungNam Institute to develop and implement a program using the expert knowledge of private educational organizations and public education organizations. The ChungNam Institute, which specializes in research on the coastal areas of Chungcheongnam-do, participated in the marine debris monitoring research. For the second stage of the project, focused on waste collection, 72 fishing villages have participated over the past five years, and 64 business and private organizations carried out the cleanup project together. For one of the projects in the third stage, which involved the construction of a marine debris transport vessel, we collaborated with central government agencies such as the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and Korea Marine Environment Management Corporation on the budget and blueprint. In addition, Chungcheongnam-do, its affiliated cities and counties, and residents of fishing villages who are beneficiaries of the initiative regularly conduct business performance evaluations every year.

Once marine debris is generated, it is almost impossible to dispose of it perfectly, which led to our realization that waste prevention is the most important thing. This is why we need facilities to provide marine environment education for fishermen and fishing village residents and block waste inflow at estuaries and coastal areas. We have to continue expanding and promoting marine environment education and accelerating the development of technologies for waste-blocking facilities by utilizing state-of-the-art science and technology. If it proves difficult to prevent the generation of marine debris during fishing activities, it will be important to develop and distribute biodegradable fishing equipment and materials to various fishing districts. In addition, it will be necessary to implement a system that assigns legal responsibility to those responsible for discharging various marine wastes. Moreover, since there are no vessels designated to collect and transport waste from islands, the long-term neglect of waste on islands has become a serious problem. In the future, we hope to utilize Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies to increase the number of marine debris transport vessels and develop mini-generators powered by the heat from incinerating and disposing of debris on islands.