The 12th January 2008 was a memorable day for the project. The co-operative cruise between China and Republic of Korea got underway after numerous negotiations and discussions on this activity.

A “Cruise Launching Ceremony” was organized by State Oceanic Administration (SOA), China, and its North Sea Branch in Qingdao, China, on 12th January 2008. Congratulatory speeches were given by:

• Mr. JIANG Yihang, Project Manager;
• Mrs. Alessandra Tisot, Senior Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP Beijing;
• Prof. ZHU Mingyuan, Chief Scientist of the Cruise; and
• high-level government officials from China and Republic of Korea: Dr. LEE In Soo, Commissioner, Korea Maritime Safety Tribunal, MOMAF, Mr. WANG Fei, Deputy Administrator, SOA.

Dr. ZHANG Zhanhai, Director General of SOA International Co-operation Division, and also the Project’s new National Project Co-ordinator for China, acted as Compere of the ceremony.

The ceremony was attended by numerous scientists from China and Republic of Korea, the research vessel’s crew and on-board scientists, and North Sea Branch naval officers. Provincial and city government officials from the Ocean and Fisheries Bureau of Shandong and Liaoning Province, as well as Qingdao and Dalian City were present to show their support for the project and the co-operative cruise. The representatives of the participating institutions in the project also participated in the Ceremony, including the North Sea Branch of SOA, the First Institute of Oceanography and the Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute.

Besides acquiring new knowledge, the co-operative cruise marks an important historical event for the region. As many of the Yellow Sea’s environmental problems are transboundary, they require the efforts of all players (countless people in the governments, research institutes, Project Management Office) in the region to overcome these troubles. The co-operative spirit of the littoral countries has allowed the first joint basin-wide survey of the Yellow Sea to be realised.

The co-operative cruise will add to the current knowledge, as surveys on pollutants and ecosystem function and structure will be undertaken. The additional information gathered will enable the region to ensure an ecosystem-based, environmentally sustainable managed and use of the Yellow Sea resources. The new knowledge will also help steer the management actions to be implemented in the future, through the “Strategic Action Programme” that is being developed under the project.