Members of a Japan-Taiwan joint fisheries committee on Tuesday failed to make progress in their first talks about details of a bilateral fisheries agreement on fishing rights around the disputed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.
Diplomatic sources told Kyodo News that fishermen from Okinawa Prefecture, who also attended the meeting, walked out in protest after their request that the fishing areas Taiwanese trawlers can fish under the agreement be reduced was denied.
Officials of Taiwan’s foreign ministry, however, tried to downplay the incident, saying it was “not that serious” and that they merely left the meeting “a few minutes earlier.”
Despite the incident, James Sha, director general of the Fisheries Agency, said both sides agreed to meet again this year but no specific date for the next meeting was fixed.
The joint fisheries committee, set up via the fisheries pact, meets once a year in principle and provisional meetings can be called if necessary.
Committee members met for the first time in Taipei to discuss issues concerning fishing order in waters covered by the agreement, protection of fish resources and cooperation in the fishing sector.
They will also continue negotiations on issues they failed to agree upon, including fishing in waters not yet covered by a bilateral fisheries agreement such as waters 12 nautical miles surrounding the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands, claimed by Taiwan and China, which call them Tiaoyutai and Diaoyu, respectively.
Since Japan and Taiwan inked the fisheries agreement April 10, Okinawa’s fishermen have lodged a protest over the pact, saying it does not take into account their interests.
The agreement will officially come into force after related laws in Japan and Taiwan are revised.
Taiwan’s legislature has already passed amendments to the Fisheries Act, pending promulgation by President Ma Ying-jeou.
Japan also completed its legislative procedure Tuesday.
Both sides agreed to complete the legislative process within 30 days after the agreement was signed April 10.
On Tuesday it was decided the accord will go into effect Friday.
2013 GlobalPost International News