Seogwipo Coast Guard Launches 'Legal Treatment Campaign for Fishing Vessel Bilge Water'

Published 02 Jun.2022 15:33(KST)

[Jeju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Jeongpil] Seogwipo Maritime Police Station (Chief Kim Jin-young) announced on the 2nd that it will carry out a campaign for ‘Legal Disposal of Fishing Vessel Bilge Water’ until the 23rd to create a clean sea.

This campaign is being conducted jointly with the Seogwipo branch of the Korea Marine Environment Management Corporation and local fisheries cooperatives (Seogwipo, Moseulpo, Seongsanpo).

Also, with the arrival of summer when fishing vessel operations and leisure activities become active, the campaign will be conducted as on-site promotional activities to prevent illegal discharge of pollutants generated from fishing vessels, such as bilge water.

Seogwipo Maritime Police will promote the campaign by posting banners stating ‘No Bilge Water Discharge’ on electronic signboards at police substations and distributing leaflets and other promotional materials in areas frequently accessed by fishermen, such as fisheries cooperative fuel stations, and by collaborating with the Seogwipo branch of the Korea Marine Environment Management Corporation to provide free collection of bilge water from small fishing vessels (under 10 tons).

They will also actively promote voluntary legal disposal of bilge water by fishermen through preventive consulting on methods for handling pollutants generated from fishing vessels and preventing illegal marine discharge of waste lubricants by attaching real-name labels on lubricant containers.

Bilge water is allowed to be discharged into the sea through an oil-water separator, but fishing vessels without an oil-water separator (under 100 tons) must discharge pollutants on land through pollutant collection and disposal operators (Korea Marine Environment Management Corporation).

Violations of this regulation are punishable by imprisonment of up to five years or a fine of up to 50 million won.

A Seogwipo Maritime Police official said, “Above all, improving awareness among fishermen themselves to legally dispose of bilge water is most important,” and added, “We ask for active participation to create a clean sea.”