THE JA
Private Japan-Red China Fishing Treaty Drafted
PEIPING (Kyodo)-Japan and Communist China Tuesday virtually reached agreement on fishing activities in the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea.
The understanding came during a talk here between Jisaku Eguchi, head of the Japanese private fishery mission, and Yang Yu, president of the Communist Chinese Fishery Association.
The formal signing is to take place about Friday.
The private agreement is to be effective for two years and cover areas north of 27 degrees N. latitude, as in the previous agreement. It is to become effective 45 days after signing.
Major matters to be ironed out include imposition of a restrictive period for fishing in specified areas in order to conserve sea-bream resources and naming. five-ports, including three in Japan, for sheltering purposes.
Michitomo Tanaka, secretary general of the Japan-Communist China Fishery Association, Tuesday welcomed the conclusion of the agreement and said the contents were generally satisfactory.
Tanaka said it was agreed not to abolish the fishing areas where the number of fishing vessels is to be restricted in the busiest fishing season, although Japan had insisted on the abolition of such areas.
Tanaka said the continuation such areas will have an unfavorable effect on the Japan-Republic of Korea fishery negotiations. He said, however, that he could understand the Communist Chinese situation requiring continuation of the restricted areas.
He said the two-year period of the agreement was satisfactory from the viewpoint of safe fishing operations.