Eco-friendly Buoys Floating in Gyeongnam Sea to Be 100% Replaced by 2025

Creation of Two Nationwide First Eco-Friendly Buoy Pilot Zones

Gyeongnam Province Eco-friendly Buoy 100% Distribution Pilot Area. (Photo by Gyeongnam Province)

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Saeyan] Gyeongsangnam-do announced on the 14th that it will replace 100% of aquaculture farm buoys with eco-friendly buoys by 2025.

The 'Eco-friendly Buoy Distribution Project' is a project reflected in the Korean New Deal, a key government initiative, and the Gyeongnam-type Green New Deal project. In 2021, 9.7 billion KRW of national funds were secured, with a total project cost of 27.7 billion KRW invested in coastal cities and counties.

Currently, the province uses 7.68 million buoys in aquaculture farms covering 5,802 hectares, including oysters, pearl mussels, and sea squirts, which account for 70% of the national production.

The goal is to replace all buoys with 100% eco-friendly buoys by 2025 to reduce marine microplastic generation.

Meanwhile, the province has designated two areas, 'Goseong-gun Jaranman' and 'Geoje-si Geojeman' waters, as pilot zones for 100% eco-friendly buoy distribution, planning to complete the distribution by 2023.

Additionally, to collect marine waste, 28.4 billion KRW will be invested next year in eight projects including marine waste Styrofoam collection and purchase, installation of comprehensive preprocessing facilities for marine plastic recycling, six marine waste collection centers, and twelve Styrofoam collection centers.

Kim Chun-geun, Director of the Marine Fisheries Bureau of the province, said, "Starting with the pilot project for 100% eco-friendly buoy distribution, the first of its kind nationwide, we plan to share the value of the Gyeongnam sea with residents," urging their participation and interest.

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