Korea, Japan agree on fishing quotas

Korean fishermen will be allowed to catch up to 109,000 tons of fish within Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), about 20,000 tons less than this year. The quota for Japanese fishing boats within the Korean EEZ was set at 93,773 tons, the same as this year.

The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (MOMAF) announced Friday that Korea and Japan had reached a final agreement on these fishing quotas within each other's EEZ.

From 2002, Korean and Japanese fishing quotas are to be equal:

For next year, Korea has secured the right to exceed Japan's catch by 15,227 tons. Under the agreement, 1,464 Korean fishing boats will be allowed to catch 109,773 tons of fish a year within the Japanese EEZ through 16 fishing methods, including net and puffer-jigger fishing. The quota marks a curtailment of 20,424 tons from 130,197 tons this year.

The number of Korean vessels to be allowed in the Japanese EEZ has also dropped 200 from 1,664 this year.

MOMAF did its best:

Japan initially argued that fishing using nets and traps should be entirely banned in Japanese waters but the two sides managed to strike a compromise on the issue. The entire Korean fishing quota declined, but the nation succeeded in increasing the quota for purse seine and single-line fishing, mainstays of the Korean fishing industry, by 1,500 tons. The number of puffer jiggers that can operate simultaneously was set at 50, ministry officials said. The quota for fowling and trap fishing declined to 1,180 tons from 3,360 tons this year.

Japanese fishing banned from certain areas on West Coast:

For security reasons, Japanese fishermen will be totally banned from operating in certain areas along the West Coast where South-North conflicts have occurred. The two countries agreed to allow operations of each other's fishing boats beginning Jan. 1, provided notification is given. But from Feb. 15, the boats will be required to obtain official approval to fish.

Kim Dong-Won daviskim@donga.com