A third rescue operation will be launched to guide a dusky shark nicknamed "Bukangi" from an artificial waterway at a waterfront park in Busan's North Port back out to sea, after the animal has remained there for more than a month.
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said on the 20th that it will carry out the third attempt to guide the shark into open water on the 21st, jointly with the Busan Metropolitan Government, the National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea and other agencies. The date was chosen because no cruise ships are scheduled to call at the port and temperatures are expected to fall sharply from the 22nd.
Bukangi is a dusky shark measuring about 3 meters in length, first spotted in the waterway at the North Port waterfront park on Sept. 18. The agencies involved have made two previous attempts to guide it out to sea and have continued to monitor its health and behavior since.
The ministry held an advisory meeting on the 19th with the National Institute of Fisheries Science, the National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea and experts in shark biology and veterinary medicine. The experts agreed that the shark needs to be moved into open water quickly, given the limited depth of the artificial waterway and the expected drop in water temperature. On the 20th, 10 agencies including the Busan Metropolitan Government and the Busan Port Authority met to discuss a detailed action plan and the role of each organization.
This time, nets will be fixed to pontoons, floating platforms used for work on the water, to address the constraints of the waterway's seabed terrain and depth identified in earlier attempts. As the shark moves toward the sea, the nets will be shifted in stages and the stretches it has passed will be blocked off, to keep it from returning deeper into the waterway.
The agencies planned to survey the seabed terrain and obstacles at the mouth of the waterway on the afternoon of the 20th using underwater drones and other equipment, install gear on the morning of the 21st and begin the operation that afternoon. During the work, officials will monitor the shark's condition and movements while minimizing stress on the animal and ensuring the safety of workers and park visitors.
Hwang Jun-sung, director general for marine environment policy at the ministry, said the agencies will work closely together based on expert advice to move the shark safely into open water, and asked the public to cooperate with access restrictions and the instructions of safety staff at the site.
The two earlier operations failed to return the shark to the sea. Vessels and water jets were used on Sept. 29, and a large net was deployed on Oct. 2. In the second attempt, the shark was guided to a point about 100 meters from the waterway's exit, but the operation was halted when the net snagged on the bottom. The following day, the shark crossed the net and returned deeper into the waterway.
Recent signs have raised concerns about its deteriorating health, prompting forecasts that it may have as little as two weeks to live. The shark struck its head hard against the waterway's outer wall, and footage filmed by members of the public showed discoloration and damage at the tip of its right pectoral fin. The National Institute of Fisheries Science said it has not been able to confirm that the shark is feeding.