International research planned to manage Arctic fish stocks

TOKYO -- The U.S., China, Japan and Russia are among the countries planning to conduct joint research in the Arctic Ocean in a step toward preventing overfishing in the region, Nikkei has learned.

Representatives from nine countries and the European Union aim to meet in South Korea early next year to discuss exploratory fishing based on similar treaties covering other regions. Starting out with rules on exploratory fishing as early as 2022, the group intends to gradually expand the scope to ensure sustainable fishing.