• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.473-483
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• 2023

This study was conducted to better understand the impact of marine fish farming by estimating mass balances of carbon and nitrogen. According to the results, 94.55% of carbon and 95.66% of nitrogen inputs were from the feed supplied in the farm. Of the total carbon emissions in the farm, 47.28% was due to fish respiration, which was subsequently released into seawater. Advection and diffusion in the farm contributed to 30.29% of the carbon released. In the case of nitrogen, 50.70% of the nitrogen released into the seawater was produced by fish excreta, and 31.37% was advected and diffused into the system. The sedimentary environment received 3.82% and 3.10% of the carbon and nitrogen released from the farm, respectively. The fish feed used for healthy growth contained 11.64% carbon and 9.17% nitrogen. Since the feed type was floating pellets, the load released into the sedimentary environment was relatively lower than that released into the marine environment. These findings suggest that the identification of an optimal fish feed that respects fish physiology and preserves a healthy ecology is critical for the future of aquaculture. Furthermore, ecosystem-based aquaculture systems that decrease environmental burden, while endeavoring to improve environmental health, are required.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.200-206
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• 2015

The fishing industry has a negative effect on the environment due to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions with the high use of fossil fuels, the destruction of underwater ecosystems by bottom trawls, reduction in resources by fishing, and altered ecosystem diversity. GHG emissions from fisheries were discussed at the Canc$\acute{u}$n meeting in Mexico in 1992 and are part of the Kyoto protocol in 2005. However, few studies have investigated the GHG emissions from Korean fisheries. To find a way to reduce GHG emissions from fisheries, quantitative analysis of GHG emissions from the Korean fishery industry is needed. Therefore, this study investigated the GHG emissions from the Korean Danish seine fishery using the life cycle assessment (LCA) method. The system boundary and input parameters for each process level are defined for the LCA analysis. The fuel-use coefficient of the fishery is also calculated. The GHG emissions from the representative fish caught by the Danish seine fishery are considered and the GHG emissions for the edible weight of fishes are calculated, considering consumption in different areas and different slaughtering processes. The results will help to understand the GHG emissions from Korean fisheries.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.119-128
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• 2013

Since the early 2000s, demand for coastal dredging projects have been significantly increased, and the dredged sediments have showed the continuing marked increases through the multiple projects with other coastal development and constructions. As significant or potential degradation of marine environment has been mounting, we checked the current situation of marine environmental impact assessment through marine water and sediment qualities in relation with dredging projects of the sea area utilization consultation statements submitted in 2011. While analysis percentages of the general items were usually higher, harmful components such as metals revealed wide variation of analysis percentages. In the event of analysis of metals, the pre-treatment process (full digestion) and analysis method were not properly implemented in accordance with the guidelines for preparation of consultation statements. Although not specified in the guidelines, verification procedures (tests of recovery efficiency and detection limit) to secure the reliability were almost ignored. As a result, most of developers did conduct poor marine environmental impact assessment on coastal dredging and related projects. We suggested that the responsible government authority should establish new detailed guidelines on the sea area utilization consultation for more strict evaluation and diagnosis of marine environment and distinctly request the developer to obey the guidelines by complementing the system of the sea area utilization consultation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.430-438
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• 2013

In this study, the seasonal field survey was conducted in Goseong Jaran Bay(22 stations), Geoje Hansan Bay(15 stations) and Jinhae Bay(18 stations). We analyzed the sediment environmental parameters(Chemical Oxygen Demand, Ignition Loss, Acid Volatile Sulfides, Total Organic Carbon) and biotic parameters of macrobenthic polychaetes(number of species, density, diversity, evenness). It had a good correlation between total organic carbon and polychaete diversity(R=0.61, P<0.01), and we made a decision them as representative environmental indices. As a result of that, regarding the criteria in the assessment of farm environment, we suggest concentrations of total organic carbon : Peak Point = 15 mg/g dry, Warning Point = 26 mg/g dry, Contaminated Point = 31 mg/g dry and polychaete diversity : ~2.6(Good), 2.6~2.1(Moderate), 2.1~1.2(Poor) and 1.2~(Bad). This could be a scientific basis to establish the environmental standards for fishery management.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.735-745
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• 2022

In this study, a health assessment was conducted using the Benthic Health Index (BHI) to assess fish cage farms, where a fishery environment assessment was also performed. A total of 43 farms were evaluated located in the East Sea, West Sea, and South Sea in Korea. The results of the BHI health evaluation included 8 grade 1 farms, 4 grade 2, 12 grade 3, and 19 grade 4. The grade 1 farms included sandy sediment farms and those with low intensity aquaculture, while the grade 2 farms included those located in areas with active seawater circulation. The fish cage farms belonging to grade 3 and 4 included the majority of farms with high-intensity aquaculture activities. There was no significant difference in total organic carbon between grade 3 and 4 farms, but the results of polychaete community analysis show that organic matter concentration was significantly higher in grade 4 farms.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.185-191
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• 2012

Most of Korean farms have been developed in the semi-closed bay, and its position is very vulnerable to the coastal contamination due to the long term and the high density. So, mariculture management is very essential for the sustainable aquaculture. Some of the specific ways would be the assessment of the optimal stocking density for mariculture management zone and this has to consider both the suitable site selection and the assessment of ecological carrying capacity. Habitat suitability index(0.0 totally unsuitable habitat, 1.0 optimum habitat) and ecological indicator(Filtration pressure indicator) was used to assess the stocking density for oyster farms in Geoje-Hansan Bay. Geoje Bay showed the higher habitat suitability index value 0.75 than Hansan Bay 0.53, indicating that Geoje Bay is more suitable for oyster farming. Ecological indicator showed different stocking density according to the coastal characteristics in Geoje-Hansan Bay. Consequently, it is desirable that the stocking density in Geoje Bay should reduce average 40% and Hansan Bay, average 60% than present, in order to meet the ecological carrying capacity. The assessment of the stocking density could solve various problems such as the coastal contamination, environmental aggravation and the productivity decrease and this study could be a scientific basis to establish the policies for mariculture management.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.55-62
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• 2008

This study investigated the status and problems of marine-related environmental impact assessment and a utilization-consultation system in Korea and suggested improvement of the review organization. Also, it conducted SWOT analysis based on evaluation of functions, roles and performance of the marine environmental impact assessment center and proposed development strategies of the center through introduction of expert opinions and advanced systems. The performance statement-review by the center in 2007 included 358 cases in total; 165 (46.1%) for consultation on utilization of sea area, 104 for environmental impact assessment (29.0%), and 89 (24.9%) for prior environmental review. The consultation on utilization of sea area can be divided into that for public water surface-use (41%) and reclamation (32%), and sea aggregate extraction process (21%). Although bad impacts on marine environment are reducing under the current system, there are some limits and problems to supplement it in terms of content, system and operation. Review system on sea area utilization-impact(marine environmental impact assessment center) by marine environmental management law needs to obtain expertise, fairness and efficiency and, to do so, have operational supports and institutional improvement to maximize its own functions and roles. At the same time, it is necessary for the center to establish identity and the status as a professional review organization by setting active development strategies inside the center. Finally, it should strengthen an consultation system of marine environmental impact assessment led by the related ministry to achieve effective coastal management.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.598-611
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• 2022

The aim of this study was to investigate the range of influence of aquaculture activities in fish cage farms located on the southern coast of Korea (Farm A and B in Hadong, Farm C in Tongyoung, and Farm D in Geoje) by analyzing the distribution and characteristics of polychaete communities. Farm A and B showed remarkably high aquaculture intensity, and as a result, the polychaete communities near the farms were heavily polluted. However, there was a difference in the polychaete communities at a distance greater than 30 m from farm A and B, which may be due to topographical differences. The effect of the aquaculture activity of Farm C was only observed below the farm, however, the influence of aquaculture activities Farm D was maintained over a relatively long distance. According to the results of this study, the effect of the fish cage culture was mainly influenced by factors related to the production of fish, such as the stocking amount and the amount of food supply. Moreover, the distance at which the influence of aquaculture activity was observed was found to be closely related to the topographical characteristics and flow velocity around the farms.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.779-793
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• 2023

Intensive and long-term aquaculture activities in Korea have generated considerable amounts of organic matter, deteriorating the sedimentary environment and ecosystem. The Korean government enacted the Fishery Management Act to preserve and manage the environment of fish farms. Based on this, a fisheries environment assessment has been conducted on fish cage farms since 2014, necessitating the development of a scientific and objective evaluation method suitable for the domestic environment. Therefore, a benthic health index (BHI) was developed using the relationship between benthic polychaete communities and organic matter, a major source of pollution in fish farms. In this study, the development process and calculation method of the BHI have been introduced. The BHI was calculated by classifying 225 species of polychaetes appearing in domestic coastal and aquaculture areas into four groups by linking the concentration gradient of the total organic carbon in the sediment and the distributional characteristics of each species and assigning differential weights to each group. Using BHI, the benthic fauna communities were assigned to one of the four ecological classes (Grade 1: Normal, Grade 2: Slightly polluted, Grade 3: Moderately polluted, and Grade 4: Heavily polluted). The application of the developed index in the field enabled effective evaluation of the Korean environment, being relatively more accurate and less affected by the season compared with the existing evaluation methods like the diversity index or AZTI's Marine Biotic Index developed overseas. In addition, using BHI will be useful in the environmental management of fish farms, as the environment can be graded in quantified figures.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.121-129
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• 2013

This study investigated the status and problems of the post-project environmental management for development projects and suggested improvements of the system to achieve effectiveness for the system of the sea area utilization consultation. The post-project environmental management has had several problems such as the neglect of implementations and checks for the consultation items, the lack of actions and notifications of results, the absence of awareness and expertise of the post-project environmental management. In addition, although it is very important to verify results of actual change and modelling of marine environment before and after the projects, the marine environmental monitoring and assessment have been perfunctorily carried out. Thus, for the improvements of the post-project environmental management to the system of the sea area utilization consultation, it is extremely necessary for related stakeholders to raise awareness of the post management and implement it faithfully, and establish the post management system for conflict resolution and enforce sanctions and accountability against executory items. Furthermore, it should establish systematic monitoring system of marine environmental impact survey.