‘7th International Marine Debris Conference’ to be Held in Busan! ... The World's Largest International Event in Marine Litter Field

Opening Ceremony, 10:00 AM on the 19th at BEXCO ... Mayor Park Hyung-jun, Minister Cho Seung-hwan of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, and others expected to attend

Held at Busan BEXCO from Sept 18 to 23 for 6 days, with over 1,000 experts and

Poster for the 7th International Marine Debris Conference (7IMDC).

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] The 7th International Marine Debris Conference (7IMDC), the world's largest international academic conference in the field of marine debris, will be held at BEXCO in Busan from September 18 to 23.

The International Marine Debris Conference is the world's largest international event related to marine debris, attended by marine experts and policy makers from major countries around the world to share various management policy cases and achievements of each country regarding marine debris prevention, collection, and awareness enhancement.

From the 1st event in 1984 to the 6th event, the conference was held in the United States, but this 7th event will be held in Busan, Republic of Korea.

This 7th International Marine Debris Conference is the first event to be held domestically in Korea.

Co-hosted by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), organized by the Korea Marine Environment Management Corporation (KOEM), and supported by organizations such as the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the city of Busan applied for the host city selection and was chosen as the host city in May 2020.

The official events include opening and closing ceremonies, welcome dinners, technical sessions, and scientific panel discussions, along with various side events such as Busan Night, marine environment film festival, and industrial tours.

With over 1,000 participants from 50 countries, the conference will be held both online and offline, aiming to be a zero-waste event by avoiding the use of disposable items from banners and covers to personal belongings.

The main technical sessions of the conference consist of 110 sessions covering 9 topics: marine debris monitoring, research, technology and innovation, education, awareness and communication, law and policy, circular economy and waste management, economy, finance and private sector participation, marine-based debris, and international cooperation, featuring 583 oral presentations and over 300 poster presentations.

Twenty-three organizations, including the Busan city government, will operate promotional exhibition booths throughout the event to share activities and achievements in the marine debris field. An upcycling exhibition delivering messages about the seriousness of marine debris and the marine environment through artworks will also be permanently held on the first floor of BEXCO.

During the conference period, central commemorative events related to the marine environment will also be held.

First, on September 22, the ‘1st National Companion Beach Competition’ will take place. On this day, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the city will sign an agreement for joint operation of companion beaches, and eight organizations including Dongwon Industries, Gijang-gun Urban Management Corporation, Daedong University, Ilgwang Middle School, Korea Maritime Institute, KT&G, and Seven Eleven, which have adopted beaches in the Busan area, will receive adoption certificates.

The ‘2022 International Coastal Cleanup Day’ commemorative ceremony will also be held on September 23 at BEXCO in Busan, hosted by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.

On this day, four local governments including Busan will be awarded as excellent institutions for marine debris reduction, and after the event, participants will move to Gwangalli Beach to conduct coastal cleanup activities.

The city has been striving to establish comprehensive measures including analysis of causes of marine debris generation, prevention measures, and collection and recycling plans.

Especially this year, the city is promoting projects for marine debris monitoring using advanced technologies such as drones and artificial intelligence, and developing equipment and technology to collect marine debris in blind spots. In July, the city also signed a business agreement with related organizations including KOEM to strengthen marine debris management, making efforts to reduce marine debris.

Mayor Park Hyung-jun said, “We will actively reflect the outcomes of this conference in our city policies and lead the resolution of the marine debris problem threatening the entire planet as the marine city of Busan.” He added, “We will attract the 2030 World Expo to Busan, which will complete the civilization and ecological transformation, and lead technological innovation and effective international cooperation to reduce marine debris.”

The opening ceremony of the 7th International Marine Debris Conference will be held at 10 a.m. on the 19th at BEXCO. About 1,000 participants from approximately 50 countries, including Busan Mayor Park Hyung-jun and Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Cho Seung-hwan, as well as marine debris experts and policy makers, are expected to attend.

For more details about the 7th International Marine Debris Conference, please visit the official website of the 7th International Marine Debris Conference.

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