The 10th anniversary of ICC Korea
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) in Korea. ICC takes place on the third Saturday of September every year all over the world. Korea began to participate in the ICC in 2001. Volunteers remove marine debris while recording them on ICC data cards, accumulating invaluable information for the management of marine debris in Korea. ICC also provides good education opportunitiesfor general public to recognize the problems with marine debris and to actively participate in reducing debris
History of ICC Korea
The number of campaign sites and participants, weight of marine debris collected, and length of coasts cleaned have all increased from 2001 to 2009. The number of ICC campaign sites increased from 24 in 2001 to 61 in 2009. More than 6,000 people participated in ICC Korea. The total weight of marine debris collected was over 900 ton from about 319 km of the Korean coast.
Marine debris in Korea comes mostly from shoreline and recreational activities, but its share has decreased from 2001 to 2009. The fraction of smoking-related debris in the total marine debris is increasing. Ocean/waterway activities accounted for 20~35 % of the debris collected on the Korean coast, which is 3~5 times higher than the world average. Six out of top ten marine debris identified from 2001 to 2009 are ocean and waterway related items: cigarettes/cigarette filters, caps and lids, beverage cans, plastic beverage bottles, glass beverage bottles, and food wrappers/containers. This indicates that ocean and waterway activities should be given the top priority in order to reduce marine debris significantly.
Marine debris in Korea comes mostly from shoreline and recreational activities, but its share has decreased from 2001 to 2009. The fraction of smoking-related debris in the total marine debris is increasing. Ocean/waterway activities accounted for 20~35 % of the debris collected on the Korean coast, which is 3~5 times higher than the world average. Six out of top ten marine debris identified from 2001 to 2009 are ocean and waterway related items: cigarettes/cigarette filters, caps and lids, beverage cans, plastic beverage bottles, glass beverage bottles, and food wrappers/containers. This indicates that ocean and waterway activities should be given the top priority in order to reduce marine debris significantly.
The 10th anniversary of ICC Korea
Tenth anniversary of ICC Korea was held on September 16th, 2010, at the Masan Regional Maritime Affairs and Port Offices. This anniversary aimed at reviewing the outcomes of ICC Korea for the last 10 years, and appreciating the efforts of participants. OSEAN, Community Advisory Council of Masan Bay, Changwon Water Life Civil Community, Masan Regional Maritime Affairs and Port Offices, Department of Environmental Engineering at Kyungnam University, and Environment Pollution Institute of Kyungnam University co-organized the anniversary.
The Masan Bay area is famous for cooperative activities to protect the bay by local governments, civil groups, universities, and enterprises. That's why the ceremony was held in the city of Masan. In particular, the Masan ICC has been crucial in inspiring various local stakeholders to participate in the restoration of the ecology of Masan Bay. More than 200 participants, including volunteers, navies, students, enterprises, and governmental officials, attended the10th anniversary ceremony.
In the 10th anniversary ceremony of ICC Korea, Masan KFEM (Korea Federation for Environmental Movement) received a plaque of appreciation from the Korea 10th ICC Steering Committee for its contribution to marine debris campaigns in Korea. The Environmental Engineering Department of Kyungnam University, a volunteer group of Catholic Women Institute, and Samsung Techwin Corporation received an award from the Masan Regional Maritime Affairs and Port Office for their efforts to improve ecosystem health of the Masan Bay. The winners of photo and UCC contest, "Clean SEA,” organized by KOEM (Korea Marine Environment Management Cooperation) also received their awards in the ceremony. Cleanup campaigns for four sites,including coasts and underwater sites, around the Masan bay were also organized as a part of the 10th anniversary program.
NOWPAP ICC Workshop
The 2010 NOWPAP ICC campaign and workshop on marine litter was held in October 1~2 in Jeju Island in order to celebrate the 10th anniversary of ICC Korea. Ms. HONG Sunwook of OSEAN, the ICC Country coordinator, presented the results of the Korean national marine debris monitoring program in 2008 and those from 9-year activities of ICC Korea. After the workshop, local citizens and governmental officials, volunteers, and international delegates from Russia, Japan, China, YSLME, PEMSEA, and COBSEA cleaned the coast of Jeju Island together.
The 2010 NOWPAP ICC campaign and workshop on marine litter was held in October 1~2 in Jeju Island in order to celebrate the 10th anniversary of ICC Korea. Ms. HONG Sunwook of OSEAN, the ICC Country coordinator, presented the results of the Korean national marine debris monitoring program in 2008 and those from 9-year activities of ICC Korea. After the workshop, local citizens and governmental officials, volunteers, and international delegates from Russia, Japan, China, YSLME, PEMSEA, and COBSEA cleaned the coast of Jeju Island together.
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