The maritime security fallout from North Korea's fisheries policy

Abstract

North Korea's fisheries policy has created a wide range of maritime security challenges within the larger Northeast Asia region. North Korea has focused on increasing fish production and bringing in income, but its political economy has resulted in fisheries exploitation that is neither monitored nor controlled directly by the state. This is further complicated by United Nations sanctions that prohibit the legal export of fisheries product, and a series of maritime boundary disputes between North Korea and other countries. Combined, these factors lead to a range of maritime security problems, including fisheries smuggling, IUU fishing in both North Korean waters and elsewhere in the region, inter-state maritime clashes, arms proliferation, and maritime piracy. This has a number of policy implications for fisheries management and engagement with North Korea on maritime issues.