South Korea will significantly open off-limits waters along the frontline islands in the west coast to fishers and allow nighttime fishing amid easing in tensions between the two Koreas.

South’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said on Wednesday that it will expand its share of the current 1,614 square kilometer joint fishing zone near front-line islands off the country’s west coast by 245 square kilometers to 1,859 square kilometers. Nighttime fishing operations in the area banned since 1964 will be allowed for 30 minutes each before sunrise and after sunset.

The action is a follow-up to the April 27 Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification of the Korean Peninsula adopted by the two Korean summits, subsequent Pyongyang Joint Declaration issued during inter-Korean summit in September, and the September 19 inter-Korean Comprehensive Military Agreement.

The widening of the fishing zone is spread evenly around Baengnyeong Island, Daecheong Island, Socheong Island, and Yeonpeyong Island. The extended zone accounts for 15 percent of the existing area near five front-line islands off the west coast.

The fishing zone near the islands is a big fish area where about 200 fishing boats net 4,000 tons of blue crab, mottled skate, prawns, and sand eels worth 30 billion won ($26.7 million) annually. The ministry said the extension in the zone will increase the annual catch by more than 10 percent, which will benefit fishery income.

The ministry expected fishing in the added zone will be allowed starting in April after revising related safety regulations.

By Choi Hee-seok and Lee Eun-joo

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]