Japan Slams Russia For Freezing Fishing Pact

Japan criticized Russia's announcement on Wednesday that it is suspending an agreement allowing Japanese to fish in waters near disputed islands as relations between the countries deteriorate due to the Ukraine war, Mari Yamaguchi reported for the Associated Press (AP).

Photo Insert: Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said it was “regrettable that Russia one-sidedly announced it is suspending the cooperation in this manner.”

The fishing agreement, which has been in place since 1998, allows Japanese fishing boats to operate around the Russian-held Kurils, which Japan also claims and refers to as the Northern Territories, in exchange for payments from Japan based on catch quotas and other annual conditions.

Its suspension, which appears to be in response to Japan's sanctions against Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine, raises concerns about the safety of Japanese fishing vessels in the area. Prior to the agreement, Russian authorities had seized and occasionally shot at Japanese ships.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said it was “regrettable that Russia one-sidedly announced it is suspending the cooperation in this manner.”

He chastised Moscow for blaming Japan for failing to fund unrelated development projects on Sakhalin, Russia's largest Pacific Island that is not part of Tokyo's claimed territory. For years, Japan has provided development funds to Sakhalin as part of its efforts to strengthen ties with Russia.

Matsuno acknowledged that Tokyo had not made the most recent payment for the Sakhalin projects, but it was unclear whether this was due to the sanctions.

Matsuno stated that Tokyo will pursue talks to ensure the safe operation of Japanese ships under the pact. “We will do our utmost to protect the safety of the Japanese fishing operation,” he said.

Pollock, Okhotsk mackerel, and octopus are abundant in the area. One of four fisheries agreements near the disputed waters is the fishing safety pact.

Two other agreements were reached earlier this year, one involving Russian salmon and another involving seaweed, and a fourth agreement to determine catch quotas in each other's economic waters is scheduled for December.

The territorial dispute has prevented the two countries from signing a peace treaty that would have officially ended their World War II hostilities. In response to its recent sanctions, Russia has already halted peace treaty talks with Japan.

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