Twenty fishing boats set out Saturday from Rausu, northern Japan, to catch walleye pollack in waters off the Russian-held island of Kunashiri, which is claimed by Japan.
Under the terms of a 5-year-old agreement between Tokyo and Moscow, Russia has guaranteed that Japanese fishing boats can operate safely in waters around Kunashiri and three other Russian-held islands off Hokkaido if Japan pays Russia. The three other disputed islands are Etorofu, Shikotan and the Habomai group of islets.
The Japanese boats will be able to operate until mid-March.
Under an agreement reached in November, Japanese fishermen are allowed to catch 912 tons of walleye pollack, down 150 tons from a year earlier.
They can also catch 208 tons of octopus and 1,060 tons of atka mackerel, which are almost the same quotas as last year.
The fishing season for octopus and atka mackerel runs from mid-September to late December.
Under the agreement, Japan must pay Russia 240 million yen for technical and humanitarian support and a 21.3 million yen cooperation fee, as well as provide 21.1 million yen worth of equipment to investigate natural resources.
The disputed islands off Hokkaido were seized by the Soviet Union at the end of World War II.