The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced that it will hold the 13th Sea Tree Planting Day ceremony at the Tongyeong Civic Culture Center’s main auditorium in Tongyeong City, Gyeongsangnam-do on May 9 at 11 a.m. (Friday).
Sea Tree Planting Day is a statutory memorial day established in 2012 to raise public awareness about the seriousness of marine desertification issues and the importance of seaweed forests. The event is held annually on May 10.
Approximately 600 attendees, including Oceans and Fisheries Minister Kang Do-hyung, local government officials, field workers, and students from the Tongyeong area, are expected at the ceremony. Before the ceremony, a performance of the Tongyeong Ogwangdae, an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Tongyeong, is scheduled, and a youth musical troupe plans to convey the value of sea forests through a creative performance.
On site, various experience booths will be set up, including exhibitions of sea forest establishment achievements, virtual reality experiences, and photo zones. There will also be promotional booths introducing maritime policies such as the TAC system, fishing gear deposit system, and young fishermen rental business.
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries plans to award ten people who have contributed to the protection of marine resources through seaweed planting on the occasion of Sea Tree Planting Day. It will present the Order of Industrial Service Merit Dongtan to diver Kim Tae-yeon, along with one industrial medal, three Presidential Citations, three Prime Minister Citations, and two Minister Citations.
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Kang Do-hyung remarked, “Sea Tree Planting Day is not only about planting seaweed but also a day to reflect on the value of enriching the sea, the source of life, by creating sea forests,” adding, “We hope for warm empathy and support for the creation of sea forests.”
Meanwhile, since 2009, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries has established sea forests covering an area larger than half of Seoul throughout the nation’s coasts, amounting to 347.2㎢. The ministry plans to continue expanding sea forests to ensure sustainable marine ecosystem protection.