Last Year, 2,401 Marine Area Use Consultations and Impact Assessments... Pier and Breakwater Construction Most Frequent

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Joo Sang-don] The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced on the 29th that the number of marine area use consultations and impact assessments last year totaled 2,401, slightly decreasing compared to 2,467 cases in 2018.

Marine area use consultations and impact assessments are preventive marine environmental management systems established under the "Marine Environment Management Act" to review the appropriateness of marine development and use, predict potential impacts on the marine environment, and prepare mitigation measures.

Depending on the scale of the target project, marine area use consultations and impact assessments are divided into ▲simple marine area use consultations ▲general marine area use consultations ▲marine area use impact assessments. In 2019, there were 2,227 cases of simple marine area use consultations, 171 cases of general marine area use consultations, and 3 cases of marine area use impact assessments.

By project type, 'new construction or expansion of artificial structures' such as piers and breakwaters accounted for the largest number with 1,633 cases (68.0%). This was followed by seawater intake and discharge activities (371 cases), dredging or excavation of the seabed in public waters (53 cases), and fishing license issuance in specially managed marine areas (40 cases).

By marine area jurisdiction, the Mokpo Regional Oceans and Fisheries Office had 526 cases (21.9%), Masan Regional Oceans and Fisheries Office 423 cases (17.6%), Daesan Regional Oceans and Fisheries Office 262 cases (10.9%), and Yeosu Regional Oceans and Fisheries Office 232 cases (9.7%).

Choi Seong-yong, Director of Marine Conservation at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, said, "As large-scale marine development and utilization activities such as offshore wind power generation and marine aggregate extraction increase and diversify, concerns about their impacts on fishery resources and the marine environment are gradually rising. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries plans to ensure thorough review of the appropriateness of marine area use and prediction and evaluation of impacts on the marine environment through the marine area use consultation and impact assessment system."

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