SEOUL — In a move to curb illegal fishing activities, China has consented to mandate its fishing fleet to activate tracking devices while operating in South Korea's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) starting May next year, as reported by Seoul's Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries on Friday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the ministry, this decision emerged from the fisheries negotiations held earlier this week between South Korea and China. The implementation of automatic identification systems, which provide vessel location and speed information, is seen as a pivotal step toward addressing unauthorized fishing practices by Chinese vessels in South Korean waters.
The ministry also noted that the quota for the number of fishing boats permitted to enter each nation's EEZ has been reduced to 1,200 for the year 2024, which marks a decrease of 50 from the current allowance.
Oceans Minister Cho Seung-hwan, in a public statement, asserted the ministry's commitment to formulating policies aligned with the bilateral agreement to safeguard marine resources and eliminate illicit fishing.