ULSAN — Ulsan has stepped up its public-private marine debris cleanup project, "Ulsan Clean Ocean," putting a year-round collection system into operation.
The city said about 30 people, including members of the Dangsa fishing village cooperative, local fishermen and government officials, joined a sweep of abandoned waste at Dangsa Port in the city's Buk District on the morning of Oct. 19.
The drive is part of a monthly management system for each fishing port that the city introduced in March. Ulsan has made cleanup activities a regular program, rotating through major coastal sites including Jeongja Port, Nasa Port and Shinmyeong Port.
The city has also diversified its collection methods. It deploys standing collection crews along vulnerable stretches of coast, buys waste that fishermen haul up during operations, and hires private divers to recover debris that has settled on the seafloor. Through these methods, Ulsan disposed of a total of 2,060 tons of marine debris in 2025.
With heavy rainfall and climate change driving a sharp increase in waste flowing into the sea, the city plans to curb marine pollution and damage to fisheries resources through rapid collection.
"We will establish public-private cleanup activities as a practice embedded in daily life to maintain a clean marine environment," an Ulsan city official said.