Decree No.4824-I of 1993 of the Supreme Soviet regarding protection of biodiversity of the Okhotsk Sea.

The Russian and the foreign fishing vessels carry out unregulated predatory catch of precious species of biodiversity. Such fisheries threaten destruction of the stock of fish spawning in the coastal waters of the Russian Federation and may cause grave socio-economic consequences for the population of the seacoast zones of the Far East. The Supreme Soviet, taking into account that the issues regarding fisheries regime in the marine areas completely surrounded by the Exclusive Economic Zone of one of the coastal states are not specified directly by the International Sea Law, decrees as follows: 1). The Russian Federation assumes responsibility for the conservation and management of marine biodiversity of the central part of the Okhotsk Sea completely surrounded by the EEZ of Russia and suspends from 15 June 1993 fisheries by the Russian and the foreign fishing vessels in the aforesaid zone till the conclusion of the respective international agreement. The aforesaid arrangements do not infringe other navigation rights recognized by the International Law. 2). To authorize the Council of Ministers – the Government of the Russian Federation to provide for the observance of the arrangements envisaged by the Paragraph 1 of the present Decree.