8 JUNE 2025 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG CHAPTER REPORTS Korean Chapter Korean Chapter Executive Committee Meeting During the KOSFAS conference timeline (see below), the Korean Chapter of the World Aquaculture Society held an Executive Committee (EXCOM) meeting on May 7 at Phenix Island in Jeju. The EXCOM, chaired by President Lim Han Kyu, assigned the Secretary/Treasurer, Mr. Hong Jeongwhui (Chonnam National University), as well as the two Board of Directors members, Mr. Hur Jun Wook (Kunsan National University) and Mr. Lee Seunghyung Lee (Pukyong National University), who were recommended under the authority granted by the Emergency Committee chaired by Prof. Chung Ik Kyo. The Directors’ term of office is four years, from 2025 to 2028. KOSFAS International Conference 2025 The 2025 Korean Society of Fisheries and Aquatic Science (KOSFAS) International Conference was held at the Phenix Island, Jeju, from May 7 to 9 under the theme “A 70-Year Journey of Fisheries Science and the Next 100 Years – Leaping Towards the Past, Present, and Future.” The opening ceremony, chaired by Ms. Park Eun-Jeong (Professor, Pukyong National University), was held at the Island Ballroom on May 7. Mr. Choi Jung Hwa, President of KOSFAS, opened the conference and delivered the welcoming address. His Excellency Minister Kang Do-Hyung (Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, MOF) delivered congratulatory remarks via video presentation. Mr. Reiji Masuda (Board of Directors on International Exchange, The Japanese Society of Fisheries Science) and Ms. Holly A Shiels (Honorary President of the Fisheries Society of the British Isles) gave congratulatory speeches. Emeritus Professors Ryu Hong-Soo, Lee Jeong-Yeol, and Zhang Chang-Ik (Pukyong National University) also gave congratulatory remarks. The KOSFAS 70th anniversary ceremony and “2025 Marine Fisheries R&D Research Achievement Sharing Conference” by the National Institute of Fisheries Science (NIFS) were held on May 8. Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, and Korea participated in the “Innovations in Fisheries Technology among Asian Countries” sessions on May 8 and 9. The conference drew 615 participants, featuring seven invited lectures, 142 oral presentations, and 182 poster presentations. FIRA and WBG held ‘Global Seaweed Summit 2025’ The Korea Fisheries Resources Agency (FIRA, President Kim Jong-Deog) co-hosted the ‘Global Seaweed Summit (GSS) 2025’ with the World Bank Group (WBG) for two days from May 28 to 29 in Busan. The GSS 2025 aimed to address the climate crisis and achieve ocean carbon neutrality, with the theme of the value of seaweed and the sustainability of the industry. The event was prepared as a place for approximately 100 people, including the World Bank Group, government representatives from various countries including Africa and Asia, domestic and foreign companies and startups related to seaweed, international organizations, public institutions, and academia, to discuss responding to the climate crisis and expanding economic value through seaweed. In his keynote speech, Kim JongDeog emphasized the ecological, economic, and social value of seaweed, the possibility of strategic expansion of the global seaweed industry, and the need for international cooperation to restore climate justice and sustainable local communities. President Kim JongDeog emphasized, “Seaweed is the most realistic and feasible key to turning crises into opportunities, and it will be the beginning of climate stability, ecosystem recovery, and local economic revitalization.” Afterward, Mr. Choi Im-ho, Director of the Blue Carbon Strategy Office, gave a presentation on the topic of ‘Creating Marine Forests and Blue Carbon’ and presented a plan to create a sustainable marine carbon neutrality foundation through the carbon absorption function of seaweeds, the potential linkage with international carbon trading schemes, and a model of ecological restoration with participation in local fishing villages. Through the ‘Global Seaweed Summit 2025,’ the Korea Fisheries Resources Agency has established a foundation for international cooperation to • establish an international seaweed industry partnership, • disseminate technologies for creating sea forests for climate recovery, and • expand sustainable fisheries models centered on women and youth. There were 10 sessions conducted during GSS2025, and each session featured keynote talks, presentations, feedback, and panel discussions. The session titles are as follows: ‘Global Seaweed Landscape – Analytical and Diagnostics Reports,’ ‘Innovation in Korea’s Seaweed Sector – 100-Year Development Journey and Food Systems Lens,’ ‘Understanding Country-Specific Dynamics – Opportunities and Challenges in Emerging Seaweed Sectors (Cambodia, Comoros, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mozambique, Philippines, Senegal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and Vietnam),’ ‘Seaweed as an Environmental Solution to Shared Prosperity on a Livable Planet,’ ‘Operational Strategies - Building Investable Seaweed Ecosystems,’ ‘Private Sector Leadership – Seaweed Innovation Marketplace and Demo Day,’ ‘Inclusive Blue Seaweed Economy – Women and Jobs,’ and ‘Live Technical Assistance – Beyond the Last Mile in Advancing Innovation for Global Seaweed Value Chains.’ There was a Seaweed Product Exposition by Marinavi, Marine Innovation, Taean Kimjangsu, Haesan, and Ocean & Harvest. In the Poster Session, 11 posters were presented by the members of the Korean Society of Phycology (President Yoon Hwan Su). Korean Smart Aquaculture Technology Transferred to Indonesia The National Institute of Fisheries Science (NIFS: President Choi Yong-seok) of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced on April 21 that it held a workshop in Jakarta, Indonesia, to share the results of the “Smart Technology Support Project for Improving Aquaculture Productivity in Indonesia” promoted as a “Coastal Country Cooperation Project (ODA).”
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