Korea Completes Its Steps To Join The IATTCff

South Korea has completed its task of getting approval from member states at last, in order to become a full member of the IATTC, a regional tuna fisheries management body that controls catches of 200,000 M/T of tuna per annum. In addition, the 74th IATTC annual meeting will be held in Busan, Korea, from June 19 to 30, 2005.

At present, five tuna management bodies are currently in operation such as the WCPFC, IATTC, ICCAT, IOTC, and CCSBT.

Following its affiliation with the WCPFC last October, Korea became a member state of all tuna fisheries management organizations by joining the IATTC as the fifteenth state this time.

The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (MOMAF) has undergone a procedure to be approved by the existing 14 member states via multifaceted diplomatic channels in accordance with the Article 5-3 of the IATTC Convention.

The ministry will finalize its domestic steps for its membership to the IATTC in consultations with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and deposit a formal letter of membership to the organization.

Korea, which has been participating in rounds of IATTC meetings as an observer, expects that its membership will greatly contribute to enhancing the sustainable use of tuna resources in the international arena.