KASAHARA: JAPANESE DISTANT-WATER FISHERIES 



agreement was concluded, in 1968, between the 

 Japanese industry (represented by the Feder- 

 ation of Japan Tuna Fishery Co-operatives and 

 the National Federation of Fishery Co-opera- 

 tives) and the Indonesian Ministry of Agricul- 

 ture. The number of vessels to operate in the 

 Banda and Ceram Seas was limited for each of 

 the three size categories (most of the vessels 

 being less than 70 gross tons) with a maximum 

 total number of 250 vessels and an annual quota 

 of 15,000 metric tons. Each vessel was to pay 

 a sum of money for using Ambon as a supply 

 base. A substantial amount of technical assist- 

 ance was also to be provided by Japan in con- 

 nection with the agreement. The agreement was 

 for a period of 1 year, but has been renewed 

 every year with minor changes. 



West Africa. — The Japanese trawl fishery 

 along the coast of West Africa has been facing 

 increasing difficulties due to the extension of 

 the territorial sea and other unilateral claims 

 by the coastal states (see Table 6 for present 

 status). Fishing in the northern area, along 

 the coast of Spanish Sahara and Mauritania for 

 cuttlefish, octopus, and porgies, has been aflFected 

 seriously by the estabishment of an exclusive 

 fishery zone (6-12 miles) by Spain and the ex- 

 tension of the territorial sea by Mauritania. In 



Table 6. — Territorial seas and exclusive fishing zones 

 claimed by West African countries as of April 1971. 

 Distances are in nautical miles and year of enactment 

 is in parentheses. 



the case of Mauritania, an extensive straight 

 base line measuring some 90 nautical miles was 

 used along the northern part of its coast. Both 

 governments enforced these measures and seized 

 some Japanese vessels. 



While Spain has not agreed to negotiate with 

 Japan on fishery problems arising from her ac- 

 tion, Mauritania did. After a long period of 

 negotiation, a 1-year agreement was signed in 

 February 1970 (came into effect in April 1970) 

 which might be extended for another year with 

 the consent of both parties. It provided for 24 

 Japanese trawlers to operate within the 12-mile 

 zone, plus 5 small vessels within 3 miles of the 

 coast. The latter vessels would deliver their 

 entire catch to Mauritania, which would then be 

 sold to Japan. Each of the 24 trawlers would 

 provide training for three Mauritanian fisher- 

 men, and each of the five small vessels for one 

 fisherman. Japan also undertook to purchase 

 fish taken by local Mauritanian fishermen. Al- 

 though Japan would pay a certain sum (approx- 

 imately $28 per gross ton of each vessel per 

 year), Japan did not want to have it called "a 

 fishing fee." As far as Japan was concerned, 

 the money would be paid as a form of aid or 

 economic cooperation in exchange for permis- 

 sion for Japanese vessels to fish within the zone 

 and to use Mauritanian port facilities. The Jap- 

 anese delegation for negotiation was composed 

 mainly of industry representatives.^' 



Participation in International Fishery 

 Conventions 



Japan has recently joined four multilateral 

 fishery conventions: the Northwest Atlantic 

 fisheries convention (joined 1970), the Inter- 

 American tropical tuna convention (joined 

 1970), the Atlantic tuna convention (came into 

 force 1969), and the Southeast Atlantic fisheries 

 convention (came into force 1971) . Thus, Japan 

 is now a member of the following fisheries 

 commissions established under international con- 

 ventions: the International Whaling Commis- 



1 A 100-mile conservation zone (1963). 

 Source: FAO (1971). 



"^ The legal status of this agreement is not clear to 

 the author. Mauritania has also concluded bilateral 

 fishery agreements with such other nations as Greece, 

 Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands. 



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