새만금·고군산군도 일원의 수산업 환경변화와 활성화 방향 - 어촌계 간담회 및 현장 의견수렴을 중심으로 -

Abstract

Among more than 100 islands in Jeollabuk-do, about 60 are located across the chain of Gogunsan Islands. There have long been various investigations and studies on this region as the treasury of fisheries along the western coastline of the Yellow Sea and Jeollabuk-do and on its history. While the development of fisheries over Saemangeum and Gogunsan Islands has been investigated from various angles, there has been little research on the accelerated changes in the fishery environments due to various marine developments in this region as a matter of fact. Above all, as various marine development and reclamation projects are conducted in fishing villages near Gogunsan Islands with the Saemangeum Dike at the border, this region has become one major domestic example of the ecosystem changes and resulting fisheries resource reduction as well as the fast weakening of fishing communities. In such fast developments and environmental changes such as climate change, concerns about the accelerated depression of the fisheries and local economies and therefore the sustainability of fishing communities are growing. Accordingly, the present study focuses on voices from the field such as meetings of local fishers to collect their suggestions about changes in the marine ecological environments and countermeasures out of the awareness of the socioeconomic changes over the Saemangeum and Gunsan districts. Specifically, this study is based on the assumption that there is an urgent need for sustainable development measures, alternatives, and supportive projects in consideration of various issues regarding the local fisheries. The investigation details include the current status of fisheries including changes in the fishery household population and marine product haul over Gunsan area and the basic condition of fisheries and marine environments in this region. Particularly based on the opinions of fishers collected through the ‘conference for analysis of the current status of alternative fishing grounds and substitute plans for the fisheries sustainability of Jeollabuk-do’ held in the fall of 2021, this study presents practical suggestions about the implications and improvement plans. It is expected that this study can be a basis for collecting opinions from the local fishers and interested parties and developing policy suggestions to address the current issues such as alternative fishing grounds for the fisheries sustainability over Jeollabuk-do, especially in the Saemangeum and Gunsan districts.