Japan-Russia fisheries talks start in shadow of sanctions

Japan and Russia have begun their annual sheries negotiations on salmon and trout catches, following a delay to the schedule due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

e negotiations, which began Monday and are being held online, are taking place while Japan is imposing economic sanctions on Russia over its hostilities in Ukraine. e length of the negotiation period is undecided.

e Japanese side includes o cials from the Fisheries Agency, the Foreign Ministry and the Hokkaido prefectural government, as well as representatives of the shing industry. e Russian side includes o cials from its Federal Fishery Agency and Foreign Ministry.

During the talks, the two sides will negotiate catch limits for Japanese shing vessels operating in waters within 200 nautical miles of Japan and the related fees to be paid to Russia.

Many of the salmon and trout o the coast of Hokkaido originate in Russian rivers. Based on the principle of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, states in whose rivers sh originate are responsible for the management of the sh stocks. As a result, quotas of Japanese vessels that catch certain sh are determined through bilateral negotiations even though the ships operate within Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

e salmon and trout shing season in Japan's EEZ usually starts by April 10 a er the conclusion of the negotiations. But this year, the negotiation schedule was delayed due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

e negotiations for 2021 took place from March 29 to April 2, with an agreement reached for a quota of 2,050 tons, and fees of about ¥260 million to ¥300 million, depending on the total catch size.

“We will do our best to maintain and secure the rights and interests involved in shing activities,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a press conference Monday. (April 13)