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Korea, China, Japan, and Taiwan to Hold Intergovernmental Consultation

  • Date

    2026.07.30.

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    39

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Korea, China, Japan, and Taiwan to Hold Intergovernmental Consultation
- Attending the 19th Northeast Asian Nations Council to discuss resource management plans (June 29 - 30)
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF; Minister Hwang Jong-woo) announced that it would be attending the 19th Northeast Asian Nations' Council Meeting on the conservation of freshwater eel resources to be held in Japan from Monday, June 29 to Tuesday, June 30.

The Meeting is held annually among major producer and consumer countries of East Asian freshwater eel (Korea, China, Japan, and Taiwan) to discuss eel resource management and cooperation measures. It also serves as a platform for joint responses to international discussions seeking to restrict the international trade of freshwater eels such as the CITES* Conference of the Parties, which takes place every three years. A Scientific Meeting (June 25–26) will be held prior to the Intergovernmental Meeting, where researchers from each country gathered to discuss research methodologies and results on glass eel stock assessments. The outcomes of the Scientific Meeting will be reviewed, discussed, and ultimately adopted at the Intergovernmental Meeting.
* CITES: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (of wild fauna and flora)

The Scientific Meeting was participated in by researchers from each country including those from the National Institute of Fisheries Science of Korea. They presented research findings on eel resource management, provided mutual consultations on each country's conservation measures, and shared genetic identification technologies for Far Eastern eels, culminating in the preparation of the 5th Outcome Report. At the Intergovernmental Meeting, the parties will discuss the statistical analysis of freshwater eel catches for 2025–2026, review of each country's policies for conservation and management, and cooperation measures in response to the 21st CITES Conference of the Parties (CoP21, November 2028).

The achievement of blocking the listing of all freshwater eel species under CITES Appendix Ⅱ at the 20th CITES Conference of the Parties (CoP20) held in November last year can be attributed to the scientific grounds prepared through this Meeting and the joint response coordinated with neighboring countries.

MOF will actively engage in international discussions related to freshwater eels to ensure the sustainable production of the freshwater eel farming industry and to guarantee a stable supply of freshwater eels to the Korean people in the future. The Ministry will also solidify cooperation with like-minded countries through this Meeting.

"As glass eels are a core resource for Korea's inland aquaculture industry, we will proactively respond to discussions on the re-listing of freshwater eels under CITES Appendix Ⅱ while also seeking mid- to long-term sustainable resource management measures. In cooperation with the industry, experts, and local governments, we will continue to pursue the introduction of a glass eel allocation quota system and advance research on the development of artificial seedlings," said Park Seung-joon, Director General of Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy at MOF.
 
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