An operation began on the 29th to guide "Bukangi," a shark that has spent more than 10 days in an artificial waterway at a waterfront park in Busan's Bukhang area, back out to the open sea.
According to reporting by Seoul Economic Daily, the Busan Metropolitan Government planned to use boats and water pumps at 10 a.m. that day to steer the shark out of the waterfront park and into open waters.
Authorities decided to guide the shark back to natural waters after concluding that a prolonged stay in the waterway could gradually weaken it.
The first approach is to use boats and water pumps to push the shark from inside the waterway toward the open sea. The method draws on a 2004 rescue in which a great white shark stranded in a Massachusetts salt marsh was guided back out to sea. Rather than capturing the shark or physically provoking it, the plan is to prompt it to move on its own.
A 4.6-ton coast guard launch and a 3-ton rescue boat are being deployed, each spraying water from pumps to steer the shark seaward. Two firefighting rescue boats are also taking part.
Outside the artificial waterway, coast guard rescue boats and the Central Sea Special Rescue Team are stationed to confirm whether the shark has reached open water and to respond to any contingency.
If the method fails, authorities plan to guide the shark out using a net built to match the width and depth of the artificial waterway. That option is expected to take somewhat longer, given the time needed to fabricate the net.
The city will monitor the shark's condition throughout the operation and adjust the method and pace to avoid causing excessive stress. An official from the National Institute of Fisheries Science with expertise in shark ecology will board a coast guard vessel to observe the animal on site.
The rescue and release effort is being carried out jointly by the National Institute of Fisheries Science, the Busan Metropolitan Government, the Busan Port Authority, the Busan Infrastructure Corporation, the Korea Coast Guard, fire and police authorities, and the Dong-gu district office of Busan.
The city and other agencies expect large crowds to gather for the operation and plan to manage safety at the site.
