• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.249-260
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• 2022

This mini review examines the habitat connectivity and effectiveness of Korean Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem (YSLME) region. We first reemphasize that the Korean region of the YSLME is a single ecosystem (ecoregion) given the biophysical distribution patterns. The MPAs within the YSLME contribute about 50% to the total MPAs in Korea, accounting for about 10% of the territorial sea waters of Korea and 20% of the waters of YSLME on the Korean side. By area, national parks account for nearly 45% of the MPAs, followed by the wetland protected areas at 25%, with other types of MPA comprising the remaining 30%. Large MPA (> 100 km²) is the dominant type of MPA, accounting for 90% of the total area. We find that MPAs in the region are connected physically and perhaps also genetically. However, the level of protection was found to be low, and a no-take zone is rarely implemented. In addition, interrupted freshwater discharge caused by river-mouth dams poses a major hindrance to the physical connectivity of the MPAs. Restoration of the river-mouth dams and strengthened regulation on MPAs, with further expansion of MPAs in line with the current development of post-2020 global biodiversity frameworks, should be priorities for better management of marine resources. The newly revised law incorporating the concept of "Marine Ecosystem Axis Management" would reinforce the processes, and their effectiveness together with overall management of MPAs in Korea should be evaluated by designing appropriate measurement tools.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.235-247
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• 2022

A marine protected area (MPA) is a spatially designated section of the ocean where the biodiversity is high. Munseom MPA has a unique underwater landscape including soft coral, subtropical fish, and benthos, attracting many scuba divers. This paper intends to evaluate the willingness-to-pay (WTP) for the scuba diving management policy in the Munseom MPA. As a stated preference valuation method, a choice experiment was applied to assess divers' preferences with economic values for the policy. The attributes used in the study included zoning (temporal closure), conservation education, daily permit, soft coral area, and diving fee. We collected 333 questionnaires through online and field surveys and used 296 after excluding incomplete responses for the final data analysis. Study results show that a six-month closure, a decrease in soft coral habitat, and the diving fee were statistically significant. A positive coefficient with regard to the six-month closure variable indicates that divers preferred the policy, and the marginal willingness to pay (MWTP) was estimated to be KRW 8,637 per person per dive. The aggregate WTP of KRW 233 million was obtained by multiplying the MWTP by the number of visiting divers per year. When comparing the levels of recreation specialization, more skilled divers preferred the management option. The results of this study will help predict the priority of management measures and the levels of acceptability among divers when diving management is implemented in Korea in the future. This study suggests that marine environmental policies need to consider divers as one of the important stakeholders for marine conservation.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.657-684
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• 2004

This study is a theoretical bioeconomic analysis to analyze the effectiveness of Marine Protected Area (MPA) implemented in different stock spatial distributions: Closed System, Source-Sink System, and Density-dependent System. In the analysis, an economic impact of vessel activities is also included and a joint effectiveness of MPA and input control is investigated as well. Results of the analysis show that total fisheries stocks are increased in all systems. However, total harvests are decreased when MPA is implemented in the closed system and in the sink patch of source-sink system. On the contrary, total harvests are increased or decreased according to the rate of stock migration and the level of fisheries stocks in the source patch of source-sink system and in the density-dependent system. Specifically, total harvests are increased more significantly as the rate of migration increases and the level of stock increases higher. In addition, the increase in fishing efforts is restricted due to the increase in fishing cost. Therefore, fishing efforts could not be increased greatly in the fishable area. When input control is combined with MPA, the total stocks could be more increased.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.207-212
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• 2012

The purpose of this paper is to overview Korean MPA, to figure out the problems of current system and to give policy suggestions for effective management for Korean MPAs. Results show that different types of MPAs are established based on different legislations but there is no effective control system for integrated management. In addition, Korean government can not use the function of MPAs due to the insufficient regulation for harmful activities within MPAs. Finally, this paper recommends four policy suggestions for effective management of Korean MPAs; legal requirements of MPA designation, establishment of national authority for MPA management, application of no-take MPAs for fisheries management and establishment of MPA network.

• The Journal of Fisheries Business Administration
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.41-61
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• 2011

Marine protected Areas(MPAs) are specially designated zones of the sea that are designed to secure operation of ecosystem function and to restore marine ecosystem to the original state by excluding all detrimental human activities. MPAs have been proposed in many countries as means of realizing sustainable fisheries and recently MPAs are newly receiving attention as precautionary measure for global warming and climate change. The purpose of this paper is to examine the possibility of MPAs as fisheries management tools through a wide range of literature analysis and to suggest necessity of fisheries purpose of MPAs in Korea. Establishment of marine protected area can accompany various economic benefits such as restoration of marine environment, preservation of habitats, promotion of marine tourism and so on. Especially, a lot of case studies suggested that MPAs may bring out benefits to the fishing industry as a result of enhanced stocks. Fisheries benefits of MPAs on targeted species include increased abundance, increased mean individual size and age, increased reproductive output, enhanced recruitment inside and outside refuge, maintenance of genetic diversity of stocks, and enhanced fishery yields in adjacent fishing grounds, so called spill-over. MPAs for ecosystem conservation and protection of coastal wetland have been applied appropriately and effectively, however, the Korean MPAs system is still detective due to absence of fisheries purpose MPAs. Finally, suggestions for Korean MPAs can be summarized as following four recommendations; to establish number of small-scale MPAs rather than few large MPAs, to designate island and its surrounding areas as reserve, to consider MPA design with stock enhancement program, and to undertake co-management with Eochon-Gye, the traditional coastal community in Korea.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.453-464
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• 2010

We evaluated the status and problems of golf course developments in the southern coast of Korea. It's adjacent waters supports nursery and fishing grounds for commercially-important fisheries species, and various sites are designated and protected as marine protection area(MPA), fisheries reserve, or clean area(blue belt) for producing shellfish. We proposed key assessment items for environmental impact assessment(EIA) and checklists in selecting golf course locations. For the protected areas, we suggest that it is essential to limit golf course establishment while setting a minimal distance from the coast to secure a buffer zone for mitigating the environmental impacts. To efficiently utilize existing regional coastal management plans, it is necessary to diagnose how a golf course development will potentially modify geomorphology and scenery, amplify pollutant loads from non-point sources, and disrupt the functions of coastal ecosystem. Especially, continued monitoring and assesssing input loads of hazardous materials originating from agricultural chemicals should be obligatory. Finally, measures for improving the QA/QC analysis were discussed to enhance reliability of environmental data with respect to golf courses and adjacent coastal waters.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Fisheries Technology Conference
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• 2003.05a
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• pp.393-395
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• 2003

산호충류는 한국을 포함한 전 세계적으로 보호종으로 지정되어 있다. 특히 제주도 해역의 서귀포 문섬, 숲섬 및 범섬 일대가 쿠로시오 난류의 영향으로 조하대 암반기질에 다양한 부착생물이 서식하며, 특히 연산호, 돌산호 등이 군집을 이루고 있어 UNEP의 ICRI(International Coral Reef Initiative)에 이미 보고되었을 뿐만 아니라, 세계 해양보존 지역 위원회에서도 해양보호지역 (Marine Protected Area, MPA)으로 선포하여 보호하려는 계획을 세우고 있다. (중략)