Park Ji-won, Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, South Jeolla-Gwangju Special City, Wando-gun and industry group join forces
[Herald Business (Wando) = Kim Gyeong-min] Relevant agencies have joined forces to rescue the abalone industry in Wando, South Jeolla-Gwangju Special City, which has been hit hard by falling prices and overproduction.
According to the office of Democratic Party lawmaker Park Ji-won, who represents the Haenam, Wando and Jindo-gun constituency in Gwangju and South Jeolla Province, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, South Jeolla-Gwangju Special City, Wando-gun and the Korea Abalone Industry Federation held a five-way meeting Wednesday at the Wando Seafood Export Logistics Center to draw up a comprehensive plan to revive the abalone industry.
At the meeting, the parties agreed to reduce sea-cage farming capacity by 50,000 units as a first phase by next year — a measure valued at 10 billion won ($6.75 million) — and to launch campaigns to boost consumption of 5,000 tons of surplus abalone.
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries will contact major retailers and subsidize promotional price gaps. South Jeolla-Gwangju Special City, Wando-gun and the abalone industry association agreed to take an active role in promotional activities through the first half of next year.
The parties also agreed to build a 20 billion won production-site processing facility in Wando-gun to boost processed-goods exports, and to support the Korea Abalone Industry Federation's promotional activities.
"We have agreed to hold a second five-way meeting before chuseok to further advance the revitalization of Wando's abalone industry," Park said. "I will do my utmost to secure the necessary budget to save the industry from this crisis."
kkm9971@heraldcorp.com
