Seoul concluded an accord Tuesday with Moscow that will enable South Korean boats fishing for saury to operate in waters around Russian-held islands off Hokkaido that are claimed by Japan beginning mid-July, it was revealed Wednesday.
Under the deal, agreed during bilateral talks in Moscow, South Korea will pay a fishing fee of $57 per ton of saury, the South Korean Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries said in a news release.
South Korea and Russia agreed in December that 26 South Korean boats would be allowed to catch 15,000 tons of saury in these waters this year, beginning July 15.
The two sides failed, however, to reach agreement on the fishing fee.