Tokyo (Times Of Ocean) – Japan and Russia reached a deal on Tokyo’s fishing quota for salmon and trout born in Russian rivers, Japan’s fisheries agency said on Saturday, despite worsening ties over the Ukraine crisis.
Russo-Japanese relations unraveling, the fate of annual talks between the two governments this year overshadowed the livelihood of Japanese fishermen in northern regions around disputed islands.
According to Japan’s fisheries agency, the two countries agreed on a quota of 2,050 tons of salmon and trout within Japan’s own exclusive economic zone for this year, the same level as last year, and that Japan would pay fees to Russia between 200 million yen ($1.56 million) and 300 million yen, depending on the actual catch.
The annual fishing negotiations began this month amid simmering tensions between Tokyo and Moscow.
In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Japan imposed a series of sanctions, expelling several diplomats and ending Russia’s most-favoured-nation status.
Tokyo’s sanctions led Russia to pull out of stalled peace talks with Japan and freeze joint economic projects, calling its actions in Ukraine a “special operation.”
($1 = 128.5600 yen)