The agreement on Japan’s share of the popular fish in the waters near the disputed islands north of Hokkaido is a relief to Japanese fishermen who have been wary of the outlook amid worsening relations between the two governments.
Japan and Russia concluded talks on Friday by setting a catch quota of 2,050 tons of salmon and trout this year in Japan’s 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone, the Japan Fisheries Agency said in a statement.
The quota is unchanged from last year, and Japan will pay 200-300 million yen ($1.56-2.34 million) in fees – depending on the actual catch – to Russia.
The agency said that the agreement will be formally signed on Monday, as payment for fish of Russian origin is stipulated in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Negotiations for this year’s annual catch quota began after the start of the usual salmon season in the region, amid heightened tensions between Tokyo and Moscow over Japan’s sanctions against Russia after its invasion of Ukraine.
The agreement defines the quota only within the Japanese economic zone, but Japan still needs to negotiate a quota within the Russian EEZ.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in late February, Japan has imposed a series of sanctions against Moscow, largely in line with measures taken by other G7 nations, including freezing the assets of Russian leaders, billionaires and groups, restricting trade and canceling “most favored nation’s trade status.” .
In apparent retaliation, Russia announced the suspension of peace treaty talks with Japan that included negotiations over the disputed islands that Tokyo desperately wants to regain.
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