Cooperation in Fisheries in Northeast Asia: Seafood Trade and Fishing Quotas Exchange

Abstract

This paper is concerned with the analysis of the current state of cooperation in the field of fisheries in the NEA region in two main areas: seafood trade and the exchange of fishing quotas. The author analyzed three types of sources: statistical data, documents and reports of official institutions and data collected from the news agencies archives. The author has come to the conclusion that cooperation in the field of fisheries between the Northeast Asia countries in these areas is developing very actively. The main actors are Russia, Japan, South Korea and China, while Mongolia and the DPRK, due to various factors, do not actively participate in it. Taiwan's participation in this interaction has not been considered due to lack of reliable information from the sources available to the author. Within the framework of the current model of interaction in this area in the Northeast Asia, Russia remains to be the largest supplier of raw materials; China is a major producer and consumer of seafood, while South Korea and Japan are engaged in advanced processing of raw materials or products from Russia and China of primary processing. In the domestic markets of South Korea and Japan there is a great demand for seafood. Unfortunately, because of the sanctions of the UN Security Council DPRK cannot realize its potential in the field of cooperation in fisheries to the full.