Response to oiled wildlife in the management and evaluation of marine oil spills in South Korea: A review

Oil spill incident is a serious source of pollution that causes direct and/or long-term damage to marine life, especially in East Asian countries, where maritime activities are high. However, the response to oiled wildlife was underestimated in the evaluation of oil spills and following management practices in many countries, including South Korea. The present study aimed to (1) summarize the impact of oil spills on wildlife and identification of potential risks, (2) collect data on the current status of oiled wildlife and relevant response techniques for rescuing oiled wildlife with corresponding national laws, regulations, and guidelines, (3) identify the challenges and/or weaknesses relating to the oiled wildlife responses (OWR), and finally (4) suggest the recommendations for future direction. Since the 1990s in Korea, there have been several large and small oil spills, including the worst case of the Hebei Spirit Oil Spill (HSOS) in 2007. The oil spill incidents have caused serious damages to marine organisms for the long period of time, e.g., > 10 years for the HSOS. The OWR is required at the national level for the protection of wildlife, but there were no relevant national laws, regulations, or guidelines, with no database to check the current status and implementation details at the time of the incident. Most of the oiled wildlife rescue activities were conducted by the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in accordance with the guidelines of international organizations and targets were mostly limited to seabirds. Korea lacks expertise in the recovery and rehabilitation of wildlife in oil spills. Thus, an advanced response system was examined, and an attempt was made to prepare for future OWR construction. Overall, this first-time review for the assessment of OWR in Korea would provide a better understanding of current status, weaknesses, and future directions in national policy and management strategy for OWR. •Response on oiled wildlife in Korea was first reviewed for assessment of current status.•About 300 oil spill accidents occur every year, mainly on the west and south coasts.•There are presently no laws, regulations, and guidelines for oiled wildlife response in Korea.•Most of the existing OWR activities are carried out by NGOs, but limited to sea birds.•Further development and expert training for OWR are urgently needed by the national level.