KASAHARA: JAPANESE DISTANT-WATER FISHERIES 



Among the issues taken up during negotiations 

 for the normalization of diplomatic relations, 

 the treatment of property claims and the con- 

 clusion of a fishery agreement were most diffi- 

 cult, and the fishery dispute perhaps created far 

 more problems than the claim issue, for it af- 

 fected the operations of thousands of Japanese 

 vessels. (Among the other main agenda items 

 were the establishment of basic relations be- 

 tween Japan and the Republic of Korea, the lay- 

 ing of submarine cables, and the conclusion of 

 a treaty concerning trade and navigation.) The 

 final settlement reached in June 1965 included 

 four agreements, of which one on property 

 claims and economic cooperation and one on fish- 

 eries were the most important from a practical 

 point of view. The former specified the forms 

 and amounts of monetary compensations. Japan 

 undertook to provide $300 million (360 yen per 

 dollar) as grants, $200 million as government 

 loans (at 3.5% with a repayment period of 20 

 years including 7 years of grace)," and more 

 than $300 million of commercial credit at a low 

 interest rate. A substantial portion of the total 

 sum was expected to be spent for fishery de- 

 velopment, mainly in the form of vessels and 

 equipment." 



The agreement between Japan and the Re- 

 public of Korea concerning fisheries consisted 

 of the mutual recognition of a right to establish 

 a 12-mile fishery zone over which the respective 

 coastal state would have exclusive fishery jur- 

 isdiction, and the establishment of a joint reg- 

 ulatory area in which fishing by the nationals 

 of both nations was to be restricted as to the 

 numbers, sizes, and types of fishing vessels as 

 well as the annual catches of the fisheries con- 

 cerned. Closed areas, closed seasons, and other 

 restrictions were also applied. The Korean ex- 

 clusive fishery jurisdiction zone and the joint 

 regulatory area established under the agreement 

 are shown in Figure 11. Japan established a 

 12-mile fishery zone along the coast facing Korea. 

 Arrangements under the agreement, its protocol. 



and subsequent agreements are extremely com- 

 plex. 



The effects of the fishery agreement have been 

 quite remarkable. Disputes over fishing acti- 

 vities have ended almost completely.'" No major 

 controversies have developed from the annual 

 meetings of the Japan-Korea fisheries commis- 

 sion established under the agreement. During 

 the period of negotiations, the Korean fishing 

 industry had grown to a strong competitive in- 

 dustry which no longer needs much legal protec- 

 tion against Japanese fishing activities. It is 

 obvious that, on a give-and-take basis, Korea 

 gained much more than she gave up in the overall 

 settlement, which to a large extent depended on 

 the resolution of fishery disputes. The fishery 

 agreement and its protocol also indicate how far 

 the Japanese government might go in making 

 complicated arrangements to settle international 

 fishery problems. 



Conflicts with People's Republic of China 



After the outbreak of the Korean War, Japan 

 began to have serious problems with the People's 

 Republic of China.^' During 1951-54, more than 

 150 vessels, practically all pair trawlers, were 

 seized in the East China Sea by the Chinese pa- 

 trol vessels (Norin Keizai Kenkyusho, 1965). 

 Negotiations began in 1954 between a Japanese 

 nongovernmental organization and a Chinese 

 fishery association, resulting in a 1-year agree- 

 ment on the operation of the trawl fishery in 

 the East China Sea (including the Yellow Sea). 

 The coastal areas were closed to trawl fishing, 

 and the numbers of Japanese and Chinese trawl 

 vessels to operate in certain areas during certain 

 periods were limited. The agreement was ex- 

 tended for another 2 years but was terminated 

 by China in 1958, resulting in another outbreak 

 of incidents. A separate agreement was made 

 in 1959 concerning emergency port calls by 



" Loans may be used for both capital goods and ma- 

 terial. 



^^ The Korean government originally envisaged in- 

 vesting roughly $150 million in fishery development, but 

 actual items to be provided by Japan have been nego- 

 tiated annually. 



'" Most of the fishery problems since the conclusion 

 of the treaty agreement have been in connection with the 

 export of Korean fishery products to Japan, particularly 

 dry laver, the only export market of which is Japan who 

 also has a very large laver aquaculture industry. 



^' Although Japan was not involved in the war, she 

 provided bases close to Korea and was also an important 

 source of war supplies. 



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