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The Sea Of Okhotsk Peanut Hole: How The United Nations Draft Agreement On Straddling Stocks Might Preserve The Pollack Fishery, Jon K. Goltz

Washington International Law Journal

The enclave of international waters in the central Sea of Okhotsk, called the "peanut hole," is surrounded by the 200 mile Exclusive Economic Zone ("EEZ") of the Russian Federation. Since 1991, distant water fishing nations ("DWFNs") have been fishing in the peanut hole in a manner that Russia claims is detrimental to the straddling pollack fish stock that exists both in Russia's EEZ and in the enclave. To prevent destruction of the pollack fishery, Russia imposed a moratorium on all fishing in the enclave; the moratorium is not universally observed. The United Nations Conference on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly …