The Russian-Korean Fisheries Intergovermental Commission concluded that both sides should increase cooperation to boost South Korean investments into Russia’s aquaculture sector and widen the list of Russian seafood products exported to South Korea whose origin must be additionally checked.
The 27th session of the Russian-Korean commission took place in March 2018, with a wide range of issues on the agenda – some of them of crucial importance to the fishery industries of the two nations. The Russian delegation was chaired by Ilya Shestakov, head of the Russia’s Federal Agency for Fisheries, while the South Koreans were led by Vice Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Cho Sung Hwan.
At the meeting, Russia established South Korea’s quota for fishing in Russian waters at 36,500 metric tons (MT) for 2018, with the option for South Korea to request a further increase through 1 August, 2018. As part of that request, South Korea must invest into aquaculture development and production in Russia’s Far East. Shestakov said Russia would provide South Korea with a list of possible investment opportunities within two months, and that the list would be valid through 2020.
Also at the meeting, the Korean delegation confirmed it will refrain from fishing pollock in the open part of the Sea of Okhotsk – a rule introduced in 1993 in order to preserve the species’ stock.
The two sides also discussed illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The Russian delegation expressed concern over the ongoing problem of illegal catch being delivered to Korean ports delivered by both Russian-flagged vessels and third-party vessels. In response, Russia proposed widening the list of species whose origin must be confirmed by special certificates. This certificate system has been in place since 2014, and encompasses trade relations between Russia, the United States, South Korea, North Korea, Japan, and China. Russian authorities issue these certificates of origin, which then serve as a base for comparing volumes exported from Russia and imported to a country from the list.
The sides also discussed other additional measures to tighten control over the origin of seafood which are the subject of mutual trade.
In closing the meeting, the South Korean delegation was formally invited to attend the International Seafood Forum, taking place in September 2018 in St. Petersburg, Russia.
