日台簽署漁業協定

Recently the Yomiuri News on-line reported the following:

日台漁業協定調印…尖閣で中台連携阻止に効果も

　【台北＝比嘉清太】日本と台湾は１０日、約４年ぶりとなる日台漁業協議を台北で行い、尖閣諸島（沖縄県石垣市）周辺海域に関する操業ルールを定めた漁業協定に調印した。

　〈１〉日台双方の漁業関連法令を適用せず、日台の漁船が操業できる「法令適用除外水域」を設ける〈２〉漁業関連法令は適用するが、日台の漁業者の操業を最大限尊重する「特別協力水域」を設ける――ことが柱だ。１９９６年の協議開始以来、１７年ぶりの妥結となった。協定は、調印から３０日以内に運用開始となる見通し。

　日台間で「最大のトゲ」（交渉筋）となっていた漁業交渉の妥結は、日台関係の進展に加え、尖閣諸島を巡ってともに領有権を主張する中国と台湾が、尖閣問題で連携することを阻止する効果も期待されている。

（2013年4月10日21時08分 読売新聞）

(試譯文)

   On the 10^th in Taipei, the first fishery deliberation between Japan and Taiwan in four years was held; a fishery agreement which defined the operation rules about the ocean area surrounding the Senkaku Islands (Ishigaki-shi, Okinawa) was signed:

   (1) To design laws and regulations that aim at the "law exempted waters" where current statutes related to the fisheries in both Japan and Taiwan were not applicable. Both Japan and Taiwan fishing operating vessels would follow the design. (2) In area where the existing fishery related statutes were already applicable, to design regulations for the "special cooperation water region" with the greatest respects for the fishery operators from Japan and Taiwan in mind - these were the two pillars. Since the deliberation start in 1996 this was the first settlement in 17 years. The agreement was expected to start application within 30 days after signing.

Once had been regarded as "the biggest thorn" between Japan and Taiwan, the conclusion of a fishery negotiation could (as a negotiating muscle), on top of advancing the development of the Japan-Taiwan relation, have the effect of preventing the cooperation between Taiwan and China over the Senkaku problems as the latter had been asserting its sovereignty over the Senkaku Islands.

An interesting diplomatic move, the agreement could have different meaning for different parties.