[Vol. 77] Agreement Made to Protect Released Storks from Electrocution

On March 31st, for the purpose of protecting the released storks, an agreement was made by KNUE, Yesan County and Korea Electric Power Corporation Yesan Branch. This, in particular, is a follow-up to address the problems posed by the accident: two storks which had been released at Yesan Stork Park died from electrocution last year. After the accident, KNUE Stork Ecology Research Center announced that it will cease to release storks into the wild until necessary measures are taken to prevent the recurrence of such an accident.

Four officials participated in the agreement; Lew Hee-chan, the president of KNUE, Nam Young-suk, the head of KNUE Stork Ecology Research Center, Hwang Seong-bong, the governor of Yesan County, and Kim Maeng-ryeol, the branch manager of Korea Electric Power Corporation Yesan Branch were gathered at Yesan County Office. Under the agreement, the three organizations will cooperate in minimizing the electrocution caused by electric power facilities near the storks’ main habitat.

Since the greatest threat to the released storks is the telephone pole installed throughout their main habitat, the organizations are going to cooperate in some projects including the installation of facilities electrically isolated, studying the behavioral characteristic of storks in relation to the telephone poles, monitoring the storks expected to approach the telephone poles. Lew Hee-chan, the president of KNUE, said: “we expect the released storks to get settled safely through this agreement.”