Crowds Flock to See Superstar Shark "Bookangi": Calls to Learn from Seattle's Example

Environmental Group: "This Is Not Just a Spectacle—The Ecosystem Must Be Examined"
"A Study of Seawater Flow and Marine Life Movement Is Needed"

The recent appearance of a shark in the artificial waterway at Busan North Port’s Waterside Park has prompted calls for a scientific investigation into seawater flow and the movement patterns of marine life. There are also calls for separate design standards that consider the ecosystem when creating waterside public spaces.

Yonhap News Agency

On September 22, the Busan Federation for Environmental Movements released a statement, urging that the incident should not be dismissed as a simple accident or a one-off spectacle, but instead calling for a scientific inquiry into why the shark entered the North Port and why it has remained there for so long.

The recent appearance of a shark at North Port Waterside Park has drawn sustained interest from the public. Tens of thousands of citizens flocked to the site hoping to see the shark, which has even been given the nickname "Bookangi." The shark is believed to have entered the North Port while chasing prey and is currently unable to find an exit.

The group stated, “Although the sighting of a single shark is not enough to assess the overall health of the North Port's ecosystem, this incident should serve as an opportunity to comprehensively examine seawater flow, water quality, distribution of prey species, and the migration patterns of marine life in North Port.”

They continued, “Up until now, waterside spaces have mostly been designed to prioritize human use, such as walking trails, landscaping, views, and tourism. However, when developing spaces adjacent to the sea, consideration should also be given to whether seawater can flow smoothly, whether marine life can move freely, and whether there is sufficient habitat as well as human convenience.”

As an example from overseas, the group cited Seattle in the United States. There, while redeveloping the waterfront contiguous to the city, the city improved structures to let sunlight reach below the water’s surface and created an environment where juvenile fish can move and stay, even as it increased accessibility for citizens.

The organization explained, “While Seattle’s facilities may not be directly applicable to North Port, it is important to note the principle of considering both people and marine life in city shoreline planning.”

The group called on the Busan Metropolitan Government to investigate the flow of seawater and the movement patterns of marine life in North Port and to establish “ecological waterside space design standards” to guide the development of coastal areas in Busan in the future.

Specifically, the group recommended that marine ecology experts be involved from the project planning stage to examine seawater flow and quality, migration and habitat conditions for organisms, and the effect of light on underwater ecosystems. It also suggested that ongoing monitoring of ecosystem changes should continue after completion of the space, with the findings incorporated into facility management and future projects.

The group stated, “As climate change and rising seawater temperatures are altering marine environments and the distribution of marine organisms, urban management practices for marine spaces must also evolve. If Busan seeks to call itself the ‘marine capital,’ it must stop viewing the ocean solely as a development target or a cityscape backdrop and start seeing it as much more.”

The statement concluded, “The entry of a single shark into North Port is an isolated incident, but the questions it raises are significant. The Busan Metropolitan Government should revise its waterside policies from simply providing spaces for human use to developing areas where the lives of people and the ocean can coexist in harmony.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.