18 February 2003 00:00
CONCERNING IMPLEMENTATION OF SOVIET-AMERICAN AGREEMENT ON DEMARCATION LINE IN THE BERING SEA (1991-2002)
2003-02-15
Over the period of operation of the Soviet-American Agreement on the Line of Demarcation in the Bering Sea (1991-2002) the losses of Russia have amounted to 1.6-1.9 million tons of fish, which is equivalent to 1.8-2.2 billion US dollars, the Russian Audit Chamber has concluded on the basis of data from research institutions of the State Fisheries Committee of Russia, as well as of other information materials and expert assessments, as it summed up the results of a verification of the Agreement's impact on the fishing industry of the country.
The verification was carried out in November - December 2002 in accordance with the plan of work of the Audit Chamber and following an appeal from members of the Federation Council, of October 16, same year. The verification materials were considered on January 31, 2003, at a Collegium meeting of the Audit Chamber under the chairmanship of Sergei Stepashin.
It was decided to send an information letter to the President of the Russian Federation. An information letter, and a report on the verification results are to be sent to the Federation Council. A report, in addition, will be sent to the State Duma, the Government and the President's Plenipotentiary for the Far Eastern Federal District.
In the verification materials it is noted that the necessity for the Agreement between the USSR and the USA arose because of a different understanding by the sides of the route of location of the demarcation line, as established in the Russo-American Convention of 1867 on the Cession of Alaska.
In 1977 when demarcating the fishing zone in the middle part of the Bering Sea a marine zone was transferred to US jurisdiction, whereby the water area for fishing by Soviet ships became reduced. The United States had since made up for the Soviet side's losses by annually allotting to the USSR appropriate quotas for fishing, but in 1981 it discontinued this practice, citing the introduction of Soviet troops into Afghanistan as the reason. In the same year the two countries began negotiations, which ended in the elaboration of the Draft Agreement. By resolution of the USSR Council of Ministers of May 30, 1990, On the Demarcation of Sea Spaces with the USA, the Draft Agreement was approved.
The Agreement was signed by then Soviet Minister of Foreign Affairs Eduard Shevardnadze and James Baker, US Secretary of State at the time, in Washington on June 1, 1990.
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