Busan seeks ways to return stranded shark back to sea
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Local media said nearly 30,000 visitors came to the North Port from Sept 19 to Sept 20 to catch a glimpse of the shark.
PHOTO: EPA
- A 3.5m shark has been lingering near Busan's North Port Waterfront Park for five days, prompting authorities to find ways to guide it back to the sea.
- Officials from various agencies met to discuss safe methods to return the shark and manage the increasing crowd of about 30,000 visitors.
- The Coast Guard paused efforts to steer the shark after expert advice, and park access was restricted due to safety concerns and high visitor numbers.
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SEOUL – The authorities in the South Korean city of Busan are searching for ways to guide a 3.5m shark back to open water after it was spotted in the area of a waterfront park for a fifth straight day.
Officials from the Busan City Government, Busan Coast Guard, Busan Port Authority and the National Institute of Fisheries Science (NIFS) met on the afternoon of Sept 22 to discuss how to return the shark to open waters if it does not leave on its own.
The meeting reportedly focused on how to guide the shark back out to sea, while ensuring the safety of the growing number of visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of it.
The shark was first spotted on Sept 18 in an artificial waterway at North Port Waterfront Park in Dong-gu, Busan. The animal is believed to be a dusky shark, although the National Institute of Fisheries Science has yet to formally confirm the species.
The Coast Guard tried to steer the shark towards open water, but it remained in the channel.
Officials later suspended the operation on the advice of the NIFS and opted instead to let the shark find its own way out.
Local media said nearly 30,000 visitors came to the North Port over the weekend of Sept 19 and Sept 20 to catch a glimpse of the animal.
The authorities decided to restrict access to the park from 6.30pm on Sept 21 as visitor numbers outstripped security resources. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK