Jeju Marine Protected Area Management

Jeju Island, the southernmost volcanic island of the Korean Peninsula, is famous for its natural environment. Jeju Island is designated as a protected area at home and abroad. UNESCO designated Jeju Island as a biosphere reserve (2002), World Natural Heritage (2007), and Global Geopark (2010), and the Korean government and local governments have also designated the island with various protected areas. But it hard to say it is truly protected. Large-scale development projects have continued, and the number of tourists has more than tripled in the past 20 years from 5 million to 16 million visitors per year. The Jeju sea is in a critical condition due to rapid increase in water temperature, coastal pollution, sea desertification, and changes in species due to climate change. 

The Green Korea United aims to diagnose the limitations and problems of the management of the marine protected area in the southern part of Jeju, and to strengthen and improve the management system of the marine protected area together with government policy makers, local officials, research groups, and residents. There is an intention to introduce an ecological rest year system or a no-take zone through the diagnosis, evaluation, awareness raising, and stakeholder consultation on the marine protected area of Jeju Island, the target area of the project.