The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) said on Dec. 3 its budget for 2022 has been set at 6,417.1 billion won, up 4.1 percent over this year’s budget of 6,162.8 billion won.
The budget increased 80.6 billion won the government proposal of 6,336.5 billion won during a parliamentary deliberation. The rise was attributable to the importance of roles of the oceans and fisheries sectors amidst a national crisis, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The fishing and fishing village sector, as well as the marine and port sector received 2,833.7 billion won, a 6 percent increase, and 2,029 billion won, a 3.8 percent rise, respectively.
The marine environment got 307.2 billion won, an 11.7 percent surge. The ministry’s R&D budget was set at 823.7 billion won, a 5.3 percent increase from this year’s budget of 782.5 billion won.
The ministry is accelerating efforts to preserve the environment to realize carbon neutrality by 2050. It will implement four projects to build halophyte habitats at mud flats to absorb greenhouse gas emissions.
The related budget has increased from 1.5 billion won to 3 billion won by adding two more projects. MOF set aside 1.1 billion won for an R&D budget on the development of artificial structures made with eco-friendly materials designed to raise the attachment of marine plants.
MOF allocated 100 million won and 1.2 billion won each to make a feasibility study on the establishment of a center designed to manage Korean tidal flats, registered on UNESCO’s world heritage list, and conducting a study on the current status of the existing 129 sea woods habitats.
The ministry budgeted 3.6 billion won to launch a project to build a marine garden in Garolim Bay to preserve and manage the bay area with high marine ecological values and build a regional shared growth model coupled with ecological tourism.
MOF allocated 1.6 billion won to build a state-run marine species restoration center to preserve marine resources and promote diversity.
The ministry set aside 9.2 billion to build “e-Nav Disaster Restoration Center” to prevent the interruption of e-Nav, a marine navigation service, in the case of an emergency situation.
MOF raised its budget for renovating coastal waterfront areas to prevent coastal erosion and disasters from 59.3 billion won to 60.9 billion won.
The ministry plans to intensively foster a value-added marine product industry to ramp up the competitiveness of the fishing industry. It budgeted 2.1 billion won for the design of a project to build a marine product industry cluster whose feasibility study was approved on Nov. 26.
MOF allocated 1.1 billion won for the development of technologies by tenant companies of marine food industry complexes and raise their capabilities.
Govt. Takes Countermeasures to Cope with Logistics Quagmire
The government convened a 4th meeting of an export and import logistics emergency response task force to prevent the possible disruption of logistics, caused by the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
The meeting reviewed the current status of export and import logistics in the wake of the spread of the Omicron variant and the implementation of steps to provide support.
The MOF and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) said no worries about the disruption of logistics, caused by the spread of the new variant, were spotted.
Participants of the meeting analyzed the need to look at a possibility if the variant is spread, some countries’ blockades and banning on replacing of sailors would worsen logistics quagmire.
Deputy Minister Moon Dong-min in charge of trade and investment at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) said the government would do its utmost to work out effective steps corresponding to Korean companies’ policy demand and logistics situation.
Director General Chun Jae-woo in charge of marine and logistics at MOF said the government would devote itself to solving logistics problems Korean exporters suffer by supplying ships in cooperation with national flag-carriers.
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