TOKYO (AP) – Japan and Russia have reached an agreement over Tokyo’s annual catch quota for Russian-born salmon and trout, the Japanese Fisheries Agency (FSA) said yesterday, despite delays and chilled relations between the two sides amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The agreement on Japan’s quota for the popular fish in waters near disputed islands north of Hokkaido is a relief for Japanese fishermen who were worried about the prospects amid worsening ties between the two governments.
Japan and Russia concluded talks on Friday, setting a catch quota of 2,050 tonnes for salmon and trout this year in Japan’s 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone, the fisheries agency said in a statement. The quota is unchanged from last year, and Japan will pay JPY200-300 million (USD1.56-2.34 million) in fees – depending on the actual catch – to Russia.
The deal will be formally signed tomorrow, the agency said. The payment for the fish of Russian origin is stipulated under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
