South Korean environmental groups on Sunday urged the government to accelerate efforts to expand marine protected areas, citing a new survey showing overwhelming public support for stronger ocean conservation measures and the global goal of protecting 30 per cent of the world’s oceans by 2030.
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The call coincided with World Oceans Day and comes as governments worldwide face growing pressure to halt biodiversity loss and protect marine ecosystems from overfishing, habitat destruction and climate change. World Oceans Day, observed annually on 8 June, aims to raise awareness of the vital role oceans play in sustaining life on Earth and to promote their conservation and sustainable use.
According to a survey commissioned by the government-backed think tank Climate and Ocean Policy Institute (CORI) and conducted by polling agency MicroMill Embrain, 90.2 per cent of South Korean respondents said marine protected areas should be expanded. The online survey of 1,000 adults aged 19 and older was conducted in April.
The findings also showed broad support for stronger conservation measures, with 97 per cent agreeing that marine environmental protection is important, 84.7 per cent supporting the expansion of “no-take zones” where fishing and resource extraction are prohibited, and 82.1 per cent backing the international “30x30” target to place 30 per cent of the world’s oceans under protection by 2030.
South Korean environmental groups including the Incheon Federation for Environmental Movement, Jeonnam Federation for Environmental Movement and CORI jointly said the results indicated that South Koreans viewed marine conservation as more than a symbolic commitment and expected meaningful protection and management of ecologically important marine areas.
They argued that the government should avoid focusing solely on meeting numerical targets and instead ensure that protected areas deliver genuine conservation outcomes.
South Korea joined international efforts to advance the 30x30 target last year when the Ministry of Environment launched the 30x30 Alliance, bringing together government agencies, businesses, international organisations, civil society groups and academic institutions to support protected-area expansion and ecosystem restoration.
The alliance supports the broader global objective of protecting 30 per cent of land and sea areas and restoring 30 per cent of degraded ecosystems by 2030.
The groups also called on Seoul to take a more active role in international efforts to establish protected areas on the high seas, which lie beyond national jurisdictions.
They said the entry into force of the international agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction, or BBNJ Agreement, in January had created a framework for designating protected areas in international waters.
Achieving the 30x30 goal would require significant conservation efforts in the high seas, which account for more than two-thirds of the world’s oceans, they said.
The groups warned against using Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) as a shortcut to meeting conservation targets.
OECMs refer to areas that contribute to biodiversity conservation despite not being formally designated as protected areas.
Campaigners said recognising OECMs without robust scientific evidence or demonstrated conservation outcomes could amount to “greenwashing” and undermine the credibility of the 30x30 target.
“The survey confirms strong public demand for expanding marine protected areas and implementing stronger conservation measures,” CORI executive director Kim Eun-hee said in a statement.
Kim urged the government to designate large-scale protected areas that take into account marine mammal migration routes and critical habitats, expand protections both within South Korean waters and on the high seas, and establish science-based criteria for recognising OECMs.
The environmental groups also called for greater transparency in the government’s implementation of the 30x30 target, including publishing roadmaps, annual targets and standards related to protection levels, management effectiveness and ecological connectivity.
They urged authorities to ensure meaningful participation by environmental organisations, local communities and scientific experts throughout the designation and management process.
