MOSCOW (Kyodo) Japan and Russia agreed to keep Japan's fishing quota for areas near Russian-held islands claimed by Japan unchanged in 2010, officials said.
The two reached the accord Friday after three days of talks in Moscow over Japanese fishing operations in waters near the islands off Hokkaido.
The Japanese fishermen will be allowed to catch up to 2,180 tons of fish, including walleye pollack, Atka mackerel and octopus in 2010.
In return, fisheries cooperatives in Hokkaido are to pay ¥21.3 million in "cooperation fees" and ¥21.1 million worth of fishing gear to the Russian side, the officials said.