High Emergency on Saury Fishing

The government set out to launch a belated measure as Japan and Russia were reported on Oct. 10 to have reached an agreement to ban the third countries, including Korea, from fishing saury in the waters of southern Kuril Islands.

The government is planning to send delegates including Hong Seung-Yong, the vice-minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries and Jo Hwan-Bok, the chief of International Economy Department of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT) to Russia and deliver a message that Korea`s fishery rights should not be excluded from the negotiation between Japan and Russia.

The government is also planning to send this message to Japanese Prime Minster Junichiro Koizumi, who is scheduled to visit Korea on Oct. 15, and to raise the issue in a summit meeting between Korea and Russia at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum in Beijing in the end of this month.

Prior to this, the government sent Chu Kyu-Ho, chief of Aaia Pacific Department of MOFAT to Japan to express the government’s opinion, but Japan showed no positive response to it.

Meanwhile, Japan and Russia were known to discuss the issue of how to compensate losses sustained by Russia in banning the third countries from fishing sooner or later and sign the official agreement during a summit meeting between Japan and Russia at APEC on Oct. 20. A Japanese governmental source said, ``The agreement has been nearly made with some minor adjustments.``

Meanwhile, according to Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries and Korea Deep Sea Fisheries Association, saury fishing in the waters of Sanriku appears impossible for Japan has not yet issued a fishing permit to Korea`s saury fishing boats even though the period of saury fishing in the waters of Sanriku is coming closer.

An official of Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries said, ``Even though we are urging the Japanese government to issue the permit, it seems almost impossible to receive it.``

Despite that Japan had to issue the fishing permit by Aug. 20 in accordance with a Korea-Japan fishery agreement, Japan has refused to do so, calling into account Korea`s fishing in the Kuril area.

Park Hee-Sub, chairman of Sauri Fishing Committee at Korea Deep Sea Fisheries Association and of Sungkyung Fisheries Co., said, ``Saudi fishing companies cannot help closing their business if fishing in the waters of southern Kuril Islands and of Sanriku is banned.`` and added, ``Even though the government is talking about substitute fishing banks, it is practically impossible to gain substitute banks.``

daviskim@donga.com