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| This photo, provided by the Korea Coast Guard, shows its crackdown on a Chinese fishing boat for illegal fishing near a South Korean island in the Yellow Sea, Sept. 13. Yonhap |
South Korea and China agreed Wednesday to reduce the number of their boats fishing in the respective nation's exclusive economic zones (EEZs) and cut the allowed fish catch in a move to preserve maritime resources, Seoul's oceans ministry said.
After holding a joint fishing committee meeting, the two nations agreed to reduce the number of fishing boats in each other's EEZs by 50 units to 1,250 next year and cut the allowed fish catch by 1,000 tons to 55,750 tons, according to the oceans ministry.
Under the agreement, the two sides also agreed to boost information sharing on Chinese boats suspected of illegal fishing in the North Korean waters in the East Sea.
They also decided to strengthen cooperation regarding Chinese boats caught for violating rules on territorial waters and using violence, the ministry added.
"South Korea and China will continue joint efforts to maintain a practical balance in fishing and to ensure fishing activities under stable circumstances," a ministry official said. (Yonhap)
