Bilateral talks concerning Japanese tuna fishing in 

 the New Zealand EEZ concluded without agreement in 

 Tokyo in January 1993. In December 1992, New 

 Zealand informed Japan of its proposed regulations for 

 Japanese fishing during the 1992/93 season. During 

 the January 1993 meeting, Japan requested less 

 stringent terms regarding fishing zones, vessel 

 numbers, fees, and observers, but New Zealand 

 promised only to review its terms.'" 



The New Zealand Government reports, however, 

 that 17 Japanese longline vessels will be pennitted to 

 target Southern Bluefin Tuna in the southern tuna 

 fishery during the 1992/93 fishing season. A total of 

 9 Japanese longliners will be pennitted to target 

 albacore and yellowfin tuna in New Zealand's northern 

 tuna fishery."'*' 



As it did in Australia, Nikkatsuren has formed a 

 joint venture company to ensure continued access to 

 New Zealand tuna stocks (appendix VV). The 

 company is called New Zealand Japan Tuna Co. Ltd., 

 and was fonned in 1989. 



Patau: A private tuna fishing agreement was first 

 concluded in January 1979. Japan has paid fees using 

 a lump-sum system although it has proposed changing 

 this to a "per vessel per trip" system. Disputes over 

 this issue have caused several interruptions in this 

 agreement. A new agreement reached in September 

 1991 provides for annual and per trip vessel pennits. 

 A total of 33 purse seiners and 65 longliners have 

 applied for pemiits and will pay a $650,000 access fee 

 ($500,000 under the previous agreement).'"'' 



The private venture, Palau International Traders 

 Inc., reportedly has Japanese and Micronesian 

 ownership, in partnership with Palauans. The finn 

 operates 54 tuna longliners, most of wiiich are 

 registered in China and Taiwan.'^" 



Papua New Guinea: Japan and the PNG signed a 

 private fisheries agreement in 1978, but the agreement 

 was tenninated in 1987 when the two sides could not 

 agree on fishing fees. Hosui and Nissui fonned a 

 shrimp trawling joint venture in 1972 called New 

 Guinea Marine Product Pty., Ltd. which is engaged in 

 shrimp trawling (appendix VV). 



The Solomon Islands: Japanese involvement in the 

 Solomon Islands began in 1971 when Taiyo conducted 



an exploratory tuna fishery. Taiyo soon after formed 

 a joint venture tuna fishing and processing company 

 called Solomon Taiyo Ltd. (STL) (appendix VV). The 

 company was launched with 75 percent Japanese and 

 25 percent Solomon Islands ownership. STL currently 

 operates 20 pole-and-line vessels, 12 of which are 

 chartered from Okinawa Prefecture. In addition, STL 

 operates 3 group purse seiners and one single purse 

 seiner. Most of the catch is skipjack which is landed 

 and canned at local ports." 



Tuvalu: Japan has both a govemment-to- 

 govenunent general access and a private agreement 

 with Tuvalu which took effect in June 1986. The 

 agreement reportedly expired in June 1 99 1. 



E. Africa/Middle East 



Coastal Africa was formerly the most important 

 fishery for the Japanese southern trawler fleet. The 

 fleet targeted octopus, squid, and snapper in grounds 

 off the coasts of Mauritania and Morocco until it 

 withdrew in 1982. In addition, the trawler fleet 

 targeted fish in Angolan waters until Angola's 

 declaration of an EEZ in 1975. Present Japanese 

 fishing activity focuses on exploiting African tuna 

 resources. Japanese firms have been involved in a 

 limited number of joint ventures in this region 

 (appendix WW). 



The Gambia: Japan reached a private-level 

 agreement with the Gambia in July 1992. The 

 agreement allows 40 Japanese longliners and 2 purse 

 seiners access to the Gambian EEZ for one year with 

 automatic extensions. Longliners pay a fee of $1,000 

 per vessel for 3 months of fishing, and $350 per month 

 for a one-month extension. Purse seiners pay a fee of 

 $5,000 per vessel for 5 months of fishing. ''- 



Mauritania: The 1991 Japan-Mauritania fisheries 

 agreement allows 30 Japanese longliners access for an 

 access fee of $3,600 per longliner for 3 months, with 

 an option for a one-month extension for $1,200 per 

 vessel. ''' The terms of the 1992 agreement (effective 

 July 30, 1992-July 29, 1993) call for increased access 

 fees of $3,900 per longliner for 3 months, with an 

 option for a one -month extension for $ 1 ,300 per vessel. 

 A total of 30 Japanese longliners will be permitted to 

 fish in Mauritanian waters.^ 



41 



