to be about 450 square kilometers, twelve times the size of Japan's national territory, making Japan's sea zone one of the largest in the world. Also, the new sea zone area is 1.15 times the size of the former combined area of internal waters, territorial sea, and the 200-mile fishing zone based on the 1977 "Law on Provisional Measures Relating to the Fishing Zone."
Of the above mentioned sea zones, contiguous zones are extremely significant to the JMSA duties. This is because JMSA hopes to effectively crackdown on crimes involving stowaways and smuggling which have become more frequent and ingenious lately. In addition, there are strong expectations that JMSA will firmly monitor and enforce the law in EEZ, even more stringently that it has to date, since these are sea zones where the sovereign rights, etc., of coastal States can be exercised, as UNCLOS prescribes, with regards to the fishery industry, protection and preservation of the marine environment, etc.
(3) Enactment of Other Related Laws
(Amendments to laws related to the fishing industry)
In order to endeavor to appropriately preserve and control marine organism resources, Japan enacted the "Law on the Exercise, etc., of Sovereign Rights Concerning Fisheries, etc., in Exclusive Economic Zones" (hereinafter referred to as the "EEZ Fishery Law") and amended "Laws for the Protection of Aquatic Resources, Related to the Preservation and Control of Marine Organism Resources." These laws establish a regulatory system concerning commercial fishing, etc., by foreigners in EEZ, etc. And they enact measures to preserve and control marine organism resources, such as by deciding on the volumes for possible catches, and to quarantine imported seedlings of aquatic products.
(Amendments to the Law Related to the Prevention of Marine Pollution and Maritime Disasters)
The enactment of the "Law on EEZ and Continental Shelf' makes it possible to carry out law enforcement related to the protection and preservation of the marine environment even against foreign ships in EEZ, based on the "Law Related to the Prevention of Marine Pollution and Maritime Disasters" (hereinafter referred to as the "Marine Pollution Prevention Law"). In addition, the Marine Pollution Prevention Law was amended as required to implement UNCLOS. It creates what is called a "Bond System," which, in consideration of shipping profits, quickly releases violators under the condition that they provide a bond, etc., to ensure their appearance, etc., at criminal proceedings. It abolishes penal sentences and imprisonment, and raises fines to levels comparable with other countries.
