'Attracting 650 New Fishers by 2027'... Incheon City Establishes Support Plan for Returning to Fishing and Rural Settlement

by Park Haesook

Published 25 Apr.2023 11:00(KST)

Incheon City is focusing on increasing the population influx into fishing villages with a goal of attracting 650 returnees to fishing by 2027.

On the 25th, the city announced that it has established the "Return to Fishing and Rural Support Plan (2023~2027)" to ensure the stable settlement of returnees in fishing villages and to create a foundation for fishery management.

The support plan includes 12 initiatives across four areas aimed at attracting young and talented fishers and expanding the population influx into fishing villages: strengthening promotion of return-to-fishing and rural migration, providing customized support for returnees, supporting stable settlement in fishing villages, and creating livable fishing village communities.

First, the city plans to build a platform for raising awareness, promoting, and providing information about return-to-fishing and rural migration, and to expand pre-experience opportunities in fishing villages to reduce the initial burden for urban residents.

Additionally, the city will focus on supporting employment and entrepreneurship for returnees through urban resident technical education (Return-to-Fishing School), returnee internship programs, and support for startup and housing funds, while encouraging stable settlement in fishing villages by preparing various housing support measures such as remodeling vacant houses.

Along with this, the city plans to establish and operate a Return-to-Fishing Support Center and improve living conditions in fishing villages by expanding infrastructure through projects such as Fishing Village New Deal 300 and Fishing Village New Vitality Promotion Project.

The city intends to carry out these projects without delay to attract approximately 650 returnees to fishing by 2027 and to increase the proportion of young returnees to fishing to 30%.

Kim Yul-min, Director of the Fisheries Technology Support Center, said, "The support plan includes various policies for the stable settlement of returnees and revitalization of fishing villages," adding, "We will communicate with counties, districts, fishers, and returnees to ensure the smooth implementation of the initiatives."