BUSAN — Government agencies, the city government and research institutes will mount a third attempt on the 21st to guide a shark nicknamed "Bukang-i" out of a landscaped waterway at a waterfront park in Busan's North Port and back into the open sea. With no feeding activity observed and concerns that falling air and water temperatures could worsen the animal's health, officials plan to complete the operation quickly using controlled safety zones and advanced equipment.
The city said on the 20th that it held a planning meeting near Busan Station with 10 related organizations, including the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea, the National Institute of Fisheries Science, the Busan Port Authority and the Busan Infrastructure Corporation, to finalize the detailed action plan and assign roles for the third operation. The Oceans Ministry's marine ecology division and the National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea will direct the effort.
Several environmental factors led the joint task force to pick the 21st. Experts issued an urgent assessment that the shark's health could deteriorate rapidly if the operation were delayed further, since no feeding activity has been observed while the animal remains in the waterway and a sharp drop in temperatures is forecast from the 22nd. Officials also took into account that no cruise ships are scheduled to operate in North Port that day.
The agencies will use an upgraded approach that addresses the limits of the waterway's topography and depth that were identified during the first and second attempts. After using sonar and underwater drones on the afternoon of the 20th to survey the seabed terrain and obstacles at the mouth of the waterway, crews will install barrier nets and pontoons — floating platforms for work on the water — around footbridges No. 5 and 6 on the morning of the 21st and run a rehearsal.
The main operation will begin in earnest on the afternoon of the 21st. Crews will move barrier nets attached to the pontoons toward the open sea to steer the shark along naturally, while blocking the rear to keep it from swimming back into the waterway. Drones will track the shark's position and movements in real time from the air, and divers will check obstacles and the condition of the nets underwater, allowing the team to adjust the operation as conditions change.
The participating organizations said they would put the shark's safety first while also ensuring the safety of visitors. The National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea and other experts will monitor the animal's condition in real time and slow the work immediately if any abnormal signs appear, while the city, police and the coast guard will restrict access to the main work areas and the footbridges to secure the site.
"Given the shark's health and the change in water temperature, guiding it out to the open sea quickly and safely is urgent," Mayor Jeon Jae-soo said. "We are making every effort to return Bukang-i safely to the sea, and we ask citizens to cooperate actively with the access restrictions at the site."