Russia Assigns 230 Thousand Tons for Korean Fishing

Russia agreed to assign a fishing quota of 230 thousand tons in total to Korea, which allows Korean fishermen to catch pollack (200 thousand tons), saury (15 thousand tons) and codfish (15 thousand tons) in the waters of Russia.

Accordingly, conflicts over saury fishing among Korea, Russia and Japan, which heated up recently, can find a clue to the solution since the saury supply will be not disturbed even though saury fishing is banned in the waters around the Southern Kuril Islands next year.

``Russia agreed to guarantee to Korea a total of 230 thousand tons in the fishing quota for next year, including pollack, saury and codfish.`` said a high-ranking official of Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries on Oct. 23.

This officials said, ``Such an agreement was made recently with Ebgeny Nazdrachenko, head (minister-level) of Russia`s National Fishery Commission.`` and added, ``The two countries will announce this agreement at the Korea-Russia Fishery Commission to be held on Nov. 22 in Seoul.``

Russia told the Korean delegate visiting Russia to discuss issues surrounding saury fishing in the waters around the Southern Kuril Islands that Korea`s fishing interests would be respected.

This official continued, ``Even though there is a controversy over economical efficiency of other fishing sites than the waters around the Southern Kuril Islands, Russia has proposed an alternative fishing site that will promise more economical efficiency than the waters around the Southern Kuril Islands where 15 thousand tons are caught (by Korean fishermen).`` In relation to this, Korean deep-sea fishery companies established a joint-corporation with Russian companies and set about pollack fishing for the first time.

Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries disclosed, ``Domestic deep-see fishery companies, Daerim Corporation and the Far East Corporation, established joint-corporations with Russian fishery firms and began pollack fishing in the West Bering Sea.``

It is for the first time that Korea and Russia are fishing together.

Daerim Corp. founded a joint-corporation named `Ekamar Sakhalin` with Russia`s Ekamar Co. and is now fishing pollack in the West Bering Sea. The Far East Corp. also founded a joint-corporation with Russia`s Tralprost Co. and started pollack fishing in the West Bering Sea on Oct. 20.

A certain amount of pollock carried into Korea by Korea-Russia joint-corporations will be given tariff reduction.

daviskim@donga.com