Fishing Grounds

[Anchor Lead]

New fishing grounds measuring over 240 square kilometers will be established in West Sea waters, following eased tensions with North Korea. Night-time fishing operations will also be partially allowed for the first time in 55 years.

[Pkg]

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced fishing grounds near South Korea's five northwestern border islands in the West Sea will be sharply expanded to one-thousand-859 square kilometers. The expanded area measures 245 square kilometers. That's about a 15 percent increase, marking the largest of the ten similar expansions made so far.

[Soundbite] Kim Young-choon(Minister of Oceans and Fisheries) : "The wider area is expected to expand maritime economy and contribute to building peace on the Korean Peninsula."

Night-time fishing operations which were banned due to inter-Korean military tensions will also be partially allowed for the first time in 55 years. Night operations can take place during 30 minutes before sunrise and 30 minutes after sunset for a total of one hour. Waters near the northwestern border islands are an important fertile fishing ground where some 200 vessels haul 4000 tons of shrimp, blue crab and sand eels each year worth around 30 billion won. The oceans ministry will revise regulations on safe fishing operations by next month so that fishing boats can begin going out to the seas from April first when the spring high season kicks off. Central and provincial governments will oversee the management and guidance of the fishery grounds while the Navy and Coast Guard will take charge of patrol missions. Oceans Minister Kim Young-Choon said the government will continue to expand fishing grounds and extend operating hours. He also said that if the North Korea-US summit proceeds well, this may allow South and North Korean military authorities to establish a joint fishing area as the next course of action.