SEOUL: South Korea and Japan have concluded talks on fishing operations in their exclusive economic zones, six months later than initially planned, the Fisheries Agency said Monday.
Following the agreement, Japanese and South Korean fishing boats will be allowed to operate in each other’s EEZ from Jan. 20.Under the accord, the South Korean government will raise fines and beef up crackdowns to prevent South Korean fishermen’s illegal operations in the Japanese EEZ, according to the agency.
South Korea will also reduce the number of boats for longline fishing operations, a frequent cause of trouble between the two sides, by 40, or about 20 percent, over the next five years.The two countries also agreed to set rules for fishing operations in waters around the Sea of Japan islands at the center of their territorial issue.
The areas around the islands, known as Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in South Korea, are fertile fishing grounds, especially for snow crabs.In recent years, South Korean fishermen have been controlling the areas.
