MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL-PROTECTION IN THE SEAS OF JAPAN AND OKHOTSK

The marine environment is a relatively minor issue in the Japan/Okhotsk Seas region. Territorial claims, navigation, fishing rights, and national security take precedence. Growing interest in marine resource development in the four coastal states (Japan, DPR Korea, Republic of Korea, Soviet Union) is fostering a new awareness of the advantages of regional pollution control and living resource conservation. Prospects for environmental regulation are assessed with reference to compatibility of national and international initiatives, cultural and historical characteristics of ocean use, and national legal and institutional approaches to marine environmental protection. © 1990 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.