[Editorial] Would Saury Fishery Defenselessly Receive a Blow?

If the Japanese newspapers` report that Japan and Russia have reached accord to prohibit our boats from fishing operation is true, not only it would lead to the bankruptcy of our deep-sea saury fishery, but also it is a very serious diplomatic problem.

Waters in off of the Southern Kuril Islands is a fishing ground from which 30-40 percent of the annual saury catch has been allotted. If we cannot continue fishing operation in such a place, it is inevitable that the related fishery business circles would face the crisis of bankruptcy soon. The fishery business circles insist that it is almost impossible to prepare for the alternative fishing ground now. Moreover, the Japanese government is not allowing our fishing operation in waters around Sanriku, another fishing ground for saury.

It is questionable what the government has been doing until such a situation has taken place. South Korea and Russia have discussed fishing operation in waters off of the Southern Kuril Islands every year since they made the fishery agreement in 1991. Based on this agreement, the two countries agreed that the South Korean boats catch 15,000 tons of saury in waters off of the Southern Kuril Islands this year, and planned to discuss the next year`s fishery operation. We simply trusted these precedent instances. It was said that the government officials emphasized the Russian position, which said that ``we would try not to damage South Korea.`` even when they heard that Russia and Japan were laying out a plan to disallow the fishing operation of the third countries in waters off of the Southern Kuril Islands. However, since waters off of the Southern Kuril Islands are the place where Japan and Russia have disputed over territory, it was anticipated all the way long that it was possible that the two countries would confer on the issue in advance.

If it is true that the countries conferred on the issue in advance, it is an unwise step that is inappropriate to such big nations. If Russia prohibits our boats from entering waters by receiving compensation from Japan, what would the trust between the two countries become? Especially, the Japanese government`s intentional exclusion of the South Korea`s fishing operation is likely to lead to build up more tension between the two countries. In this situation, the Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi Jinichiro`s visit to Seoul seems meaningless. Japan and Russia should not make such a contemptible prearrangement for their own interests, if they want to maintain trust and honor in the international society.

Belated diplomacy cannot benefit the nation. The government should try to find a solution in advance through every possible diplomatic channel regarding an issue that may bring about any problem. Especially, the government should examine itself whether it received a blow while being immersed in domestic issues including South-North Korean issues. The government should prepare for active diplomatic countermeasures now.