68 



Japan (Contd.): 



COMMUNIST CHINA 

 FISHERIES TEAM VISITS 



On September 27, 1966, a fisheries team 

 from Mainland China arrived in Tokyo for a 

 visit sponsored by the Japan-Mainland China 

 Friendship Society. The team will inspect 

 fisheries facilities (principally in western 

 Japan) and talk with representatives of the 

 fishing industry and unions. 



Japanese fishery circles are cooperating. 

 They hope this will assist them in implement- 

 ing the private Japan -Communist China Fish- 

 eries Agreement, prevent fishery disputes in 

 the East China Sea, and increase fishery trade 

 with China. ( Nihon Suisan Keizai , Sept. 27, 

 1966.) 



***** 

 IMPORTS FROM CHINA ROSE IN 1965 



Imports of Chinese fishery products into 

 Japan increased from about 18,840 metric 

 tons in 1964 to over 28,130 tons in 1965. Im- 

 ports of the largest single item- -fresh and 

 frozen shrimp--remained relatively stable 

 (5,480 tons in 1964; 5,874 tons in 1965), but 

 their value was two-thirds of the total value 

 of all Japanese fishery imports from Com- 

 munist China. 



The largest quantity increases in 1965 

 were imports of Spanish mackerel and hairtails 

 (both triple 1964 imports) and croakers (50 per- 

 centhigher than 1964). The Japanese are es- 

 pecially anxious to increase imports of large 

 shrimpfor transshipment to world markets. 



Type of Vessel 



Number 



Total 

 Gross Tonnage 



Government owned: 



32 



12 



5-7 



4,800 

 6,360 



n. a'. 











i 



Republic of Korea 



REPORT ON TUNA FLEET 



South Korea's Atlantic tuna fishing fleet 

 consists of 44-government-owned vessels 

 with a gross tonnage of over 11,000 tons (see 

 table). Vessels are based at Monrovia (Li- 

 beria) and Freetown (Sierra Leone). The 

 Republic of Korea (ROK) now has the largest 

 single group of tuna vessels fishing the South 

 Atlantic. The tuna are sold to a large United 

 States tuna packer. In 1967, another 6-11 ves- 

 sels with a total tonnage of over 2,000 gross 

 tons will be added. 



The ROK tuna vessels are owned by the 

 Fisheries Corporation of the Republic of 

 Korea. They were constructed with credits 

 obtained from the French-Italian consortium. 



In addition to government -owned vessels, 

 private tuna companies operate from 5 to 7 

 vessels in the Atlantic. 



Three 200 -gross -ton ROK tuna vessels 

 fish in the Indian Ocean. 



Off American Samoa, 46 ROK tuna vessels 

 operated in August 1966; 29 fish for one of 

 the two U. S. tuna packers with plants on the 

 Island; 17 fish for the other. (U.S. Embassy, 

 Tokyo, October 7, 1966.) 



***** 



NORWAY AND NETHERLANDS 

 PROMISE CREDITS 



O Chung-Kun, ROK's Director of the South 

 Korean Office of Fisheries, reported in Seoul 

 on September 22, after a money-raising trip 

 to Western Europe, that: the Norwegian 

 Government had agreed to encourage private 

 commercial loans for Korean fishery devel- 

 opment totaling US$15 -20 million; the Dutch 

 Government will "support" the extension of 

 a long-term loan of up to US$15 million to 

 finance Korean purchases of mothers hips 

 and stern trawlers; the French -Italian con- 

 sortium, which has financed recent Korean 

 purchases of fishing vessels, was asked for 

 an extension of the repayment period and ad- 

 ditional credits. 



In 1965, the Netherlands constructed a 

 large 6,000-gross-ton mothership for North 

 Korea, which is reportedly fishing with the 

 Soviets in the Sea of Okhotsk- -possibly for 

 king crab or herring. 



A group of NoJTwegian businessmen and 

 fishery specialists is planning to visit Seoul 

 to inspect Korea's growing fishing industry. 

 The Norwegians were reported interested in 

 promoting joint-investment in fishmeal proc- 

 essing plants and fishing vessel repair and 

 shipbuilding yards. (U. S. Embassy, Seoul, 

 Oct. 5, 1966.) 



***** 



