<기사제목>Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries Delays Implementation of Aquaculture License Review and Evaluation System by 5 Years... To Be Introduced from August 2025

[Asia Economy Reporter Joo Sang-don] The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced on the 30th that it will conduct a legislative notice for the enforcement decree and enforcement rules containing specific details delegated by the 'Aquaculture Industry Development Act,' enacted last year to foster and support the aquaculture industry, from May 4 to June 15.

According to the draft, to minimize confusion caused by the newly established 'License Review and Evaluation System,' which requires the assessment of whether to renew licenses upon expiration for aquaculture operators who negligently manage farms, such as by abandonment or illegal operation, the enforcement will be postponed for five years to provide sufficient preparation time for fishermen, and will be implemented from August 2025. The evaluation items and methods are defined as standards for assessing the degree of sediment pollution in aquaculture farms and standards for evaluating farm management status.

Additionally, to specify the easing of entry barriers for large corporations into the aquaculture industry as stipulated by law, requirements for species allowing large corporations' participation have been prepared, such as those requiring technological development and large-scale facility investment or those with high import dependency that need fostering to replace imports. Furthermore, when the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries announces the relevant species, it is stipulated that the selection of target species must be made after sufficient prior consultation with related fishermen or producer organizations to protect existing small-scale fishermen.

Myung No-heon, Director of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy Division at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, said, "We expect the Aquaculture Industry Development Act to serve not only to strengthen the competitiveness of the aquaculture industry but also as a stepping stone for its growth," adding, "To ensure the smooth implementation of this law, we plan to proceed with collecting stakeholders' opinions and the review by the Legislation Office according to schedule so that subordinate statutes can be enacted without delay."

The draft can be viewed on the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries website. Individuals or organizations with opinions can submit them via the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries website or the Integrated Legislative Notice Center by June 15.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.