Third operation to guide 'Bukangi' out to open sea planned ... City to mount joint response with Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and expert agencies

[Financial News] A third operation is being planned to safely guide 'Bukangi,' a shark residing in the scenic waterway at Busan North Port Waterfront Park, back out to the open sea.
Busan City said on the 21st that it would carry out a third operation to guide the shark out to the open sea jointly with relevant agencies, including the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea.
The third operation is being planned in light of expert agencies' assessment that prompt action is needed, given that the shark has not been observed feeding and that its health could deteriorate as air and water temperatures fall in the coming period.
The city explained that it chose the 21st as the optimal time for the operation after considering that no cruise ships were scheduled to operate that day and that temperatures were expected to drop sharply starting on the 22nd.
The third operation will address limitations involving the waterway's terrain and depth identified during the first and second operations by using nets, pontoons (floating structures for work on the water), divers and other resources. The plan is to guide the shark's movement by moving a net attached to a pontoon toward the open sea, while blocking its path from behind to prevent it from returning farther into the waterway.
The operation will be conducted flexibly according to conditions on site, with drones tracking the shark's location and movements in real time and divers checking for underwater obstacles and monitoring the condition of the net.
The plan is to make the shark's safety and health the top priority during the operation while also taking every measure to ensure visitor safety.
Expert agencies, including the National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea, will direct the operation while monitoring the shark's behavior and health, and will adjust the method and pace of the work if any abnormal signs emerge.
The city plans to focus on visitor safety by working with relevant agencies, including the Busan Port Authority, Busan Facilities Corporation, police and Coast Guard, to restrict access to pedestrian bridges No. 5 and 6 and key work areas, deploy safety personnel and step up on-site patrols.
Mayor Jeon Jae-su said, "Given the shark's health and changes in water temperature, it is necessary to guide it out to the open sea promptly, and we will actively cooperate with this operation, which is being led by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and expert agencies."
[email protected] Kwon Byeong-seok Reporter