Sino-South Korea Fishing Agreement to Take Effect

The Sino-South Korea Fishery Agreement is to take effect June 30 this year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

Chinese Vice Minister of Agriculture Qi Jingfa met with South Korea's Vice Minister of Maritime and Fisheries Hong Seoung-yong Thursday, and two sides reached an agreement on some details, such as the sea areas for fishing.

Qi said that 2,796 Chinese fishing boats will be allowed to fish in the sea areas under South Korea's administration in the first year after the agreement takes effect, while 1,402 South Korean fishing vessels will be permitted to enter the sea areas under China's administration.

A number of Chinese fishing vessels have to retreat from the fishing ground near the South Korean coast, which is to reduce the fishing output in these areas, he added.

The fishing agreement between China and South Korea, which was signed last August, is the second bilateral fishing agreement China has signed with a neighboring country, following the Sino- Japan Fishing Agreement.

The agreement is considered a provisional one on fisheries before the delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zones between the two countries with opposite coasts, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

(People's Daily 04/06/2001)