Our Ocean Conference kicks off in S. Korea
BUSAN, April 29 (Yonhap) -- A major global maritime conference kicked off in South Korea's southeastern port city of Busan on Tuesday to provide a platform for international discussions on the sustainable future of the ocean.
The 10th Our Ocean Conference (OOC) set sail under the theme "Our Ocean, Our Action" for a two-day run at BEXCO, about 325 kilometers southeast of Seoul.
Some 2,300 officials, including government delegates from 100 countries and the leaders of international institutions and nongovernmental organizations, have joined the event, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.
Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who spearheaded the establishment of the conference, and Peter Thomson, the United Nations (U.N.) secretary-general's special envoy for the ocean, were among the participants.
"At this moment, many people are facing risks to their livelihoods and losing their homes due to the rise of sea levels, marine garbage and depletion of fishery resources," Oceans Minister Kang Do-hyung said in an opening speech at the event.
"To resolve these problems, we need a more concrete and innovative action plan," he added.
This year's OOC plans to discuss seven topics, including marine protected areas, sustainable fisheries, marine pollution, maritime security and digital oceans.
As the host country, Seoul plans to propose the "Korea Blue Action Plan" backed by an investment of 3.7 trillion won (US$2.57 billion), which comprises 76 pledges on efforts to promote the sustainability of the ocean sector.
The pledges will include efforts to expand marine protected areas across the world to achieve "30 by 30," a worldwide initiative aimed at designating 30 percent of land and oceans as protected areas by 2030.
The country will also promote the use of eco-friendly fuels for vessels and make efforts to decrease marine plastic pollution.
South Korea formally confirmed its ratification of a U.N. agreement on the sustainable use of marine biological diversity in March, becoming the first East Asian country to do so.
On top of the ratification, the country plans to designate over 2,000 square kilometers of new marine protected areas this year alone and continue to expand these areas every year, Kang explained.
Kang said South Korea will also continue its efforts to promote sustainable fisheries as the only Asian member of the Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing Action Alliance.
"South Korea recognizes the vital importance of the international cooperation in areas such as vessel information management, fishing activities and seafood supply chains, building upon our existing legal institutional frameworks," he added.
On the industry aspect, Kang called for efforts from the private sector to expand investment in "green shipping," which refers to a set of practices aimed at minimizing negative impacts on the environment from freight transportation.
On the sidelines of the event, the oceans ministry was set to hold a business summit of the shipping, shipbuilding and digital ocean industries.
South Korea will also host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Oceans-related Ministerial Meeting on Wednesday and Thursday in Busan, ahead of the APEC summit set to take place in the country in the fall.
nyway@yna.co.kr
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