Marine conservation experts and officials gathered at the Korean embassy in Washington DC on Tuesday, June 12 to discuss how years of Korea-US cooperation has lead to a new level of global awareness for ocean and coastal environmental issues, with major milestones this year including Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea and the World Conservation Congress in Korea this fall.
Protecting our Marine Places: A Shared Korea-US Vision for Conservation and Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea, a KORUS Forum event hosted at the Korean Cultural Center, featured speakers from the Korean and US governments, as well as international organizations.
“Korea and the US are playing a key role in promoting a rising sense of environmental responsibility for the oceans,” said Mary Beth West, director of the Washington D.C. Office of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and a former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oceans and Fisheries at the State Department. “This vision has led, among other things, to the opening of the Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea.”
“Because most oceans issues, by their very nature, cross international boundaries, the international community must come together to build consensus on actions to be taken. The Yeosu Expo can contribute immeasurably to this process,” West went on to say.
From Washington to Seoul to Yeosu
The Korea-US Joint Project Agreement, a partnership between Korea’s Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs (MLTM) and the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) established in 2001, has facilitated an increasingly broad exchange of scientific data, research methods, training, and collaborative projects between the two countries for more than a decade. The relationship has helped MLTM raise public awareness of and support for marine conservation in Korea, including the establishment of 16 Marine Protected Areas (MPA), with more being added each year.
“We learned from the US the ways of designating an MPA and the process, but also the important ways of persuade local people, which can be difficult,” said Heuijin Ji, Director General for MLTM and senior liaison to NOAA’s office in Silver Springs, Md. “I think that is one of the best ideas we learned form the US…. We have to have a logical basis to persuade people, and we learned the methodology to research that.”
This year, Korea plays host to two major international events that build on this trend: the Yeosu Expo, a three-month world’s fair built around the theme of The Living Ocean and Coast, and the World Conservation Congress organized by IUCN, bringing world scientists to Korea’s southern island of Jeju with the goal of forming consensus on steps nations can and should take to protect oceans and coastal areas.
“The Expo focuses on the marine environment and sustainable development in the sea for the first time,” said Ji, “and plays an important role in marine environment education and civil engagement.”
Aside from its appeal to tourists, including international and theme pavilions, marine life parks, daily performances, and the “Big-O” water screen and light show, the expo has as an underlying goal the protection of coastal economies, which can suffer during changing times.
“Although the expo will present a model of balanced regional development, the economy of Yeosu is based on fishing and industries along the coast, which have been gradually declining,” said Ji. “The expo can provide a regional progress model by improving sustainable tourism along with the preservation of the marine environment.”
James Delgado, Director of NOAA’s Maritime Heritage Program, echoed concerns about the effects of development, pollution, overfishing, and natural events on coastal and marine ecosystems.
“Some of these impacts can include failing fish populations, bleached corals, threatened or endangered species, or limited job opportunities,” Delgado said. “MPAs are one type of ocean management tool that, when used effectively, help ensure healthy oceans. They may also protect historic artifacts such as shipwrecks that could otherwise be damaged by handling or theft.”
“It is not a simple one-off event,” Ji reiterated, saying he hopes the expo’s networking project and declaration calling on the international community to find sustainable ways to develop marine resources will be the start of future dialogue.
“What I’ve found very uplifting is how this message of conservation is spread throughout,” said Andrew Snowhite, CEO of the USA Pavilion at the expo, in a video message at the event. “As you travel around, you do see that people want to work together as a global community to solve this issue.” The USA Pavilion recently hit 250,000 visitors, and the expo overall is expected to draw 8 to 10 million before it wraps up August 12.
“[The Yeosu Expo’s] message, that the world must come together on marine and coastal protection, is both timely and important,” Delgado said. “It could not have come at a more critical time.”
“United by an ocean”
Protection of marine places requires a partnership between local communities and governments, but also among nations, Delgado said.
“The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) has hosted numerous Koreans at our sanctuary sites and at our Sanctuary Advisory Committee meetings, to see firsthand and learn about our place based management, and our work and partnerships with the states, local communities, volunteers, tourism industry and others. Korea has also implemented advisory councils as well as a central office to coordinate amongst the various Korean MPAs.”
This year, in addition to 34 joint activities being conducted under the Joint Project Agreement, ONMS will begin sharing lessons and processes learned through its MPA training and program with other nations.
In Yeosu, the US presence and commitment is a major one, said Snowhite, with greeting messages from Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and President Obama, highlights on Korea-US collaborative projects, and help from 40 bilingual American student ambassadors welcome and guide guests at the USA Pavilion.
“We’ve learned a great deal from our Korean colleagues…as we’ve gotten to know one another,” Delgado said. “We are united by an ocean that defines our planet, but we are also united in our concern, our care, our approach, and in an ongoing commitment. And that has been a very gratifying experience that we hope to see grow.”
By Adam Wojciechowicz
Co-presented with the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Korean Ministry of Land, Transport, and Maritime Affairs, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and the IUCN DC Marine Community.
Useful Links
International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs
Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, NOAA
USA Pavilion
Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea