“Cooperation to protect ecosystems and respond to the climate crisis” ... KEPCO Plant Service & Engineering Co., Ltd. safeguards pristine tidal-flat ecosystems

【Financial News, Naju = Hwang Tae-jong】KEPCO Plant Service & Engineering Co., Ltd., a specialist in power-facility maintenance, carried out a campaign in Jindo to remove the invasive species gaetjul-pul, contributing to efforts to protect the region’s pristine tidal-flat ecosystem and overcome the climate crisis.
 On the 28th, KEPCO Plant Service & Engineering Co., Ltd. said it had held the previous day an event to remove gaetjul-pul for tidal-flat ecosystem restoration, blue carbon conservation and biodiversity protection. The event took place on tidal flats in the area of Namdong-ri, Imhoe-myeon, Jindo County, in cooperation with Jindo County, the National Institute of Ecology, the Wildlife Management Association and the Jeollanam-do Carbon Neutrality Support Center.
 Gaetjul-pul is an alien species dubbed the “destroyer of tidal flats” because it rapidly forms dense colonies when it enters tidal flats, causing desertification and preventing native species from growing. It is considered one of the leading invasive species threatening pristine tidal-flat ecosystems.
 The removal campaign was held to effectively eradicate gaetjul-pul, restore the tidal flats’ unique biodiversity and conserve “blue carbon” (carbon sinks in wetlands or the ocean), a key resource for addressing climate change.
 In particular, the initiative drew attention as a corporate ESG effort to protect local ecosystems and respond to the climate crisis. It was led by KEPCO Plant Service & Engineering Co., Ltd., a public energy corporation, with environmental and ecological specialists, including the National Institute of Ecology, and local governments such as Jindo County working closely together. Participants and local residents also responded enthusiastically.
 A KEPCO Plant Service & Engineering Co., Ltd. official stressed, “This gaetjul-pul removal event was a meaningful occasion for the private sector, government and public corporations to work together to protect the region’s precious ecological resources.” 
 The company also provided education on invasive species to participants and Jindo residents, raising environmental awareness among local residents and employees. It also took time to reaffirm the value of “coexistence with fishing villages,” which brings vitality to fishing communities.
 Meanwhile, the company runs its own “Biodiversity Week” and continues to take practical steps to protect biodiversity in its power-facility operations, including releasing mud loaches to improve river water quality, removing stork nests from the tops of transmission towers, and safely protecting and managing storks.
 A KEPCO Plant Service & Engineering Co., Ltd. official said, “We will continue to work to conserve biodiversity and fulfill our environmental responsibilities.”

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