Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Jeon Jae-soo) announced that it will launch a full-scale follow-up rescue operation starting at 3:30 PM tomorrow (the 2nd) to safely return "Bukang-i," a shark currently residing in the scenic waterway of Bukang Waterfront Park, back to its native habitat.

This follow-up rescue operation addresses and complements the limitations of the initial release guidance operation conducted on September 29. It will be carried out by fundamentally blocking the inward movement path of the waterway using a net and guiding the shark toward the open sea.

The joint rescue team of related agencies will gather around the 4th Footbridge at 1:30 PM tomorrow to conduct a final inspection of equipment and routes along with a rehearsal, before diving into the full-scale rescue operation at 3:30 PM.

The National Institute of Fisheries Science, which is in charge of executing the shark rescue and release, has manufactured a large barrier net measuring 50 meters in length and 6.8 meters in height for this operation. This net prevents the shark from heading back further into the waterway, while heavy weights attached to the bottom minimize any gaps between the waterway floor and the net.

The guidance operation will involve two vessels and 10 personnel (pulling the net), proceeding in a three-dimensional manner encompassing both the waterfront and the sea.

One vessel will pull the center of the net, while personnel on both ends of the waterfront (5 people each) will hold the net to match the movement speed. When the shark moves toward the entrance of the waterway, the net will be moved toward the entrance accordingly; when the shark turns back, the movement of the net will be stopped and fixed to prevent the shark from entering deeper into the waterway.

Simultaneously, another vessel equipped with a water pump behind the net will generate foam depending on the situation to naturally guide the shark toward the open sea. In addition, personnel will be deployed along the waterfront area to track the shark's location, sharing its current position using glow sticks as the operation proceeds.

Furthermore, the safety and health of the shark will be given top priority throughout the rescue process.

During the operation, experts from the National Institute of Fisheries Science will monitor the shark's health status and reactions in real time, and will flexibly adjust the operation method and movement speed according to field conditions and signs of stress in the shark.

Meanwhile, the city conducted a 1st guidance operation on September 29 utilizing vessels and water pumps, but the shark failed to leave the waterway, falling short of a successful release. In this 2nd operation, the simultaneous deployment of a barrier net and a rear water-pump vessel aims to boost the release success rate.

Mayor Jeon Jae-soo stated, "Through this meticulously prepared follow-up rescue operation, we will spare no effort to ensure that 'Bukang-i' safely returns to the wide open sea," adding, "In accordance with expert judgment, we will carefully look after the shark's health condition while maintaining rigorous safety management in the field without the slightest negligence."

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