[Anchor Lead]
The Masan Bay area in southeastern Korea was once referred to as the "Sea of Death." After years of conservation efforts, the water quality has improved so dramatically that now it's clean enough for fish to spawn. But as a large artificial island is constructed inside the bay, water quality is once again slipping to the previous unacceptable level.
[Pkg]
The Machang Bridge spans the mouth of the Masan Bay, featuring clear, sparkling ocean waters. A KBS team took a look under the sea. Underwater plants are abundant and the water is clear enough to see all the way down to the bottom. It's a living, breathing ocean. This artificial island the size of 90 football fields is being built in the inner part of Masan Bay. The island was filled with the dredged soil from the Gapo New Port construction site. What does the sea around the manmade island look like? The water here is so murky that it's hard to see what lies just inches away. Marine plants are practically non-existent and a severe stench is released from the water.
[Soundbite] Kim Kyung-hwan(Underwater Photographer) : "The mudflat has rotted completely, killing off all creatures and causing a bad stench. This is like sewer water."
A large artificial island built in the middle of Masan Bay has presumably caused the deterioration of water quality by slowing down the flow of seawater. A Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries survey conducted last year rated the water quality inside Masan Bay as "bad," giving it a grade 4 out of five grades. According to a coastal pollution management system for Masan Bay, the ultimate water quality goal for the Masan Bay area is to reach the swimmable level. But, given the current underwater condition, that goal seems far out of reach.
