Republic of Korea Joins the GGGI

Today, during the Our Ocean 2022 Conference, the President of the National Institute of Fisheries Science and Deputy Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, Dong-sik Woo announced that the Republic of Korea is joining the GGGI. The Republic of Korea joins 19 other national governments as a member of the Initiative.

The Republic of Korea has the 12th largest fishing industry and is among the highest per capita seafood consumption in the world. The Korean Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries reported that as of 2019, their per capita consumption of fish was 69.8kg (153.8lbs).

We are thrilled to welcome the Republic of Korea as a member of the GGGI. As a global leader in the fishing industry, their commitment to addressing ghost gear is a huge asset in the fight to protect our ocean. We look forward to working with the South Korean government for a healthier and more sustainable ocean.

- Ingrid Giskes, GGGI Director

This news also comes ahead of the Republic of Korea co-hosting the 7th International Marine Debris Conference (IMDC) in September 2022. The IMDC is the world’s longest-running international conference series dedicated to the issue of marine litter and plastic pollution.

The Korean government has thus far made various endeavors to prevent ghost fishing and reduce marine debris. It gives us great pleasure and excitement to join global efforts to tackle this issue by becoming a member of the GGGI.

- Dong-sik Woo, President of National Institute of Fisheries Science and Deputy Minister of Oceans and Fisheries

The Republic of Korea has already begun their efforts to address ghost gear by working on the research and development of new fishing gear material sources, real time tracking and reporting of gear to support effective retrieval, a deposit-return scheme for retrieved gear, and implementation of the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization’s Voluntary Guidelines on the Marking of Fishing Gear.

The other 19 members of the GGGI include Belgium, Canada, Dominican Republic, Iceland, Mexico, Montserrat, Netherland, New Zealand, Norway, Palau, Panama, Samoa, Spain, Sweden, Tonga, Tuvalu, United Kingdom, United States, and Vanuatu.

Joel Baziuk