- First meeting to be held in March to collaborate on Measures to Reduce River Trash Entry into the Ocean

 The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (Minister Kang Do-Hyung) has organized River Jurisdiction Working-Level Councils to be participated in by relevant organizations in five major river and estuary jurisdictions, including the Han River, Nakdong River, Geum River, Yeongsan River, and Seomjin River, with the aim to reduce the amount of trash flowing into the ocean through rivers.

 An estimated 145,000 tons of marine garbage is generated each year in Korea, of which 87,000 tons, roughly 65%, enters the sea through rivers. With recent increases in extreme weather events, such as typhoons and heavy rainstorms due to climate change, this amount is expected to grow further.

 The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries has so far worked closely with local governments to collect and dispose of marine trash and jointly developed the Measures to Reduce River Trash Entry into the Ocean last December with relevant government agencies to fundamentally resolve the marine trash issue.

 The measures aim to reduce the amount of river trash flowing into the oceans to 65,000 tons by 2027 by establishing a robust river trash management system that can prevent the entry of river trash into the oceans and systematically collect existing marine trash.

 Against this backdrop, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries has organized River Jurisdiction Working-Level Councils to effectively implement the Measures to Reduce River Trash Entry into the Ocean. The Councils are to be centered around Regional Offices of Oceans and Fisheries that govern the respective river and estuary jurisdictions and involve the participation of River Basin Environmental Agencies, the Korea Rural Community Corporation, K-Water (Korea Water Resources Corporation), the Korea Marine Environment Management Corporation, and local governments. The Councils are planning to hold their first meetings and officially begin their activities in March.

 The councils plan to actively cooperate to reduce the inflow of marine trash by jointly organizing cleanup activities ahead of the flood season while also preparing guidelines for improved marine trash collection during gate openings of estuary banks, such as during heavy rains.