Analysis on the development trends of capture fisheries in North-East Asia and the policy and management implications for regional co-operation

The seas in North-East Asia, the Yellow/East China Sea and the East Sea, which are semi-enclosed seas constituting unitary ecosystems are now facing many problems such as depletion of fish stocks, poor fishery management policies, and large-scale deterioration of the marine environment. The fishery resources of the region have long been subject to heavy fishing pressures, and many stocks are now believed to be seriously depleted and may be in danger of extinction because of overfishing. In addition, poor fishery management policies have accelerated overfishing and the rapid depletion of fish stocks. Considering this rapidly deteriorating situation, regional co-operation based on the 1982 UN Convention among coastal states should be given top priority. Most fish stocks in the region migrate beyond the jurisdiction of any one country. Indeed, one state by itself can easily destroy fishery resources because semi-enclosed seas, particularly those such as the Yellow/East China Sea and the East Sea, cannot be managed effectively without close co-operation among the coastal states. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.