Project covers 1.55 square kilometers near Tongyeong; seven institutions form joint council and sign MOU

The Busan Port Authority will create a seaweed forest spanning about 1.55 square kilometers in waters near Dong-dong, Yokji-myeon, Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, as part of efforts to combat the climate crisis and preserve the marine ecosystem. [Busan Port Authority]
The Busan Port Authority will create a seaweed forest spanning about 1.55 square kilometers in waters near Dong-dong, Yokji-myeon, Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, as part of efforts to combat the climate crisis and preserve the marine ecosystem. [Busan Port Authority]

The Busan Port Authority (BPA) will create a seaweed forest spanning about 1.55 square kilometers in waters near Dong-dong, Yokji-myeon, Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, as part of efforts to combat the climate crisis and preserve the marine ecosystem.

The BPA signed a "seaweed forest creation MOU for carbon sink expansion and marine ecosystem conservation" Friday at the Busan Port International Exhibition and Convention Center (BPEX), forming a public-private council with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Tongyeong city, the Korea Fisheries Resources Agency and other partners.

The agreement brings together the central government, local authorities, public institutions, financial institutions and Busan port terminal operators. The council comprises seven organizations: the BPA, BNK Financial Group — a regional financial institution based in Busan and South Gyeongsang Province — and five Busan port terminal operators: Shinsundae Gamman Terminal Co., Hanjin Busan Container Terminal Co., HMM PSA Sinhangman Co., Busan Container Terminal Co. and Dongwon Global Terminal Busan Co.

The participating organizations plan to develop a seaweed forest of about 1.55 square kilometers in waters near Dong-dong, Yokji-myeon, Tongyeong over four years starting this year. They agreed to cooperate on funding and inter-agency collaboration for the seaweed forest project, establishing habitat foundations for seaweed and other marine life in the target waters, and ongoing maintenance and monitoring of the restored area.

A seaweed forest project involves cultivating seaweed colonies along coastlines degraded by ocean desertification, restoring spawning and habitat spaces for marine life and increasing species diversity and seaweed biomass in coastal ecosystems. Seaweed forests are drawing particular attention as a nature-based climate solution because seaweed serves as a carbon sink.

Seven regional institutions are collaborating around ESG values to advance marine ecosystem restoration policy — a combination the BPA described as the project's defining significance. The BPA plans to take an active role in seaweed forest development aligned with government policy and to strengthen ESG cooperation among the participating organizations.


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