Land Reclamation of 300,000 Pyeong of Public Waters in 24 Fishing Villages... "Improving Residential Conditions"

Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries Announces the '4th Basic Plan for Reclamation of Public Waters'
17 Fishing Port Facilities Linked to 'Fisheries New Deal 300'

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The government will reclaim 300,000 pyeong of public waters across 24 fishing village districts. This is to prevent indiscriminate development of public waters and to expand fishing port facilities necessary to improve the living conditions of fishermen. Public waters refer to state-owned waters or watercourses used for public purposes, including seas, rivers, and lakes.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced on the 30th that it has finalized the "4th Basic Plan for Public Waters Reclamation (2021?2030)" and will officially notify it on the 31st. This is a statutory reclamation plan established every ten years for each planned reclamation site under the "Act on the Management and Reclamation of Public Waters" (Public Waters Act). The purpose is to prevent indiscriminate development and enhance the efficiency of reclamation management.

In this 4th plan, after evaluating the feasibility of reclamation for 31 districts (8.19 km²) applied for last year by local governments and private entities, and following consultations with related agencies, gathering opinions from local governments, and review by the Central Coastal Management Committee, reclamation plans for 24 districts (1.01 km², approximately 300,000 pyeong) were reflected for each planned reclamation site.

By type of reclamation purpose, fishing port facilities were the most numerous with 17 sites. These facilities were built in connection with the Fishing Village New Deal 300 project to improve living conditions and create waterfront spaces. Public facilities accounted for 3 sites, and other facilities such as industrial complexes accounted for 4 sites. A Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official explained, "While the demand for large-scale public waters reclamation is decreasing, the recent trend reflects the promotion of minimal reclamation focused on small-scale public projects such as expanding fishing port facilities to improve living conditions in fishing villages."

To carry out reclamation projects, licenses must be obtained within the scope of the reclamation plan specified under the Public Waters Act. If a license is not obtained within five years, the plan will be canceled. A ministry official stated, "When approving licenses and reclamation plans for the 24 reclamation districts in the future, we plan to thoroughly conduct environmental impact assessments and marine area use consultations to minimize the impact of reclamation on the marine environment and ecosystem."

Yoon Hyun-soo, Director of Marine Environment Policy at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, said, "We will implement follow-up measures without delay according to the 4th plan so that not only the current generation but also future generations can enjoy public waters together."

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