Russian drift-net ban bad news for Hokkaido fishermen

VLADIVOSTOK--Hokkaido fishermen are set to suffer if Moscow bans drift-net fishing in Russian waters.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to sign into law a bill that passed through the upper house of the Russian federal assembly June 24 to protect salmon and trout resources in the country’s exclusive economic zone.

The ban would take effect from 2016 and apply not only to the Russian fishing industry but also to Japan’s.

Drift-nets used to catch salmon and trout can extend for several tens of kilometers in length. Those living and working in areas near Kamchatka in Russia have complained that the use of such nets has prevented salmon and trout from returning to rivers in the area to spawn.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201506250038