This article examines fish stocks in Northeast Asia’s disputed waters in the context of the ‘tragedy of the commons.’ For fishing purposes, these waters are in an interim condition between free and closed seas; the absence of a specific coastal state governing them could trigger a tragedy of the commons unless appropriate institutions involving all the concerned states are established. This article discusses the extent to which the apparent weaknesses in texts of relevant bilateral fisheries agreements have been overcome in this region through practical implementation and states’ efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. It also reveals inducements and obstacles to the prevention of a tragedy of the commons.

中文翻译：

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管理东北亚争议水域的渔业资源：防止“公地悲剧”？

本文在“公地悲剧”的背景下考察了东北亚有争议海域的鱼类种群。出于捕鱼目的，这些水域处于自由海和封闭海之间的过渡状态；除非建立涉及所有有关国家的适当机构，否则没有一个特定的沿海国对其进行管辖可能引发公地悲剧。本文讨论了该地区通过实际实施和各国打击非法、未报告和无管制捕捞的努力，在多大程度上克服了相关双边渔业协定文本中明显的弱点。它还揭示了防止公地悲剧的诱因和障碍。