Editorial Note
Delegations from Canada, Japan, and the United States met on November 5 in Tokyo to consider proposals for conservation and regulation of North Pacific fisheries.
“The Tripartite Fisheries Conference ended on December 14 with the signing of a final act document by which representatives of Canada, Japan and the United States recommended to their governments approval of a draft Convention and Annex for the conservation of fisheries of the North Pacific Ocean; also recommended was a Protocol relating to salmon fishing in the Bering Sea, which was recognized as a special situation. The Conference lasted for six weeks, during which the original proposal of the United States was generally accepted in principle but was radically modified in organization and wording. The Japanese accepted the principles of conservation proposed by the United States and agreed to abstain from fishing for salmon, halibut and herring in the Northeast Pacific Ocean, but they opposed adoption of a principle whereby any nation might receive preferential treatment in contiguous waters, and they insisted upon insertion in the preamble of a statement to the effect that conservation must be on a free and equal footing. All Delegations seemed satisfied with the results of the Conference despite considerable hard bargaining and occasional tense moments around the conference table. The Japanese press, which had earlier expressed fears that Japanese fishermen would be discriminatorily excluded from certain fisheries, also [Page 1391] seemed satisfied with the results, laying particular emphasis on the principle of freedom and equality. The draft Convention and Protocol now await approval and formal signing by the respective governments, prior to ratification and coming into force.” (Despatch 898 from Tokyo, December 20; 794.00/12–2051)
Information on the negotiations is in files 611.946, 611.006 NP, and 794.00 for 1951 and 1952.
The Convention for the high seas fisheries of the North Pacific Ocean, with Annex and Protocol, was signed at Tokyo May 9, 1952. For text, see 4 UST 380.