Abstract
Marine plastic debris has grown into a global environmental issue. In Korea, recent researches show that Styrofoam buoys debris generated from oyster aquaculture farms have seriously affected coastal environment. We estimated the annual inflow of Styrofoam buoy debris in the oyster farms in Gyeongnam Province based on the in-depth interviews with fishermen. The inflow was calculated to be about 668,000 buoy debris in 3,554 ha of the oyster farms. The quantity of discarded buoys was relatively lower in Tongyeong than those in Geoje and Goseong, whereas the total number of buoys in use was highest in Tongyeong. This lower production of buoy debris is attributable to institutional factors (obligatory retrieval by fishermen) than biophysical factors (location, wind, tide, etc). Main causes of buoy debris include unintended loss, conflicts with other fishery types, and mismanagement. The study suggests raising the rate of obligatory retrieval, supporting transportation, establishing quantitative information system, and raising the awareness of fishermen to more effectively control used buoys. 

Keywords

Marine Plastic Debris, Styrofoam Buoy, Aquaculture, Annual Inflow, In-Depth Interview

Citation