By Kim Tae-jong

The owners of foreign fishing boats captured while operating illegally in Korean waters will have to pay higher fines to reclaim their boats, the prosecution said Sunday.

The measure is a part of efforts to strengthen the crackdown on an increasing number of Chinese trawlers unlawfully fishing in the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

According to the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office (SPO), it recently hiked impounding fees, charged to the owners of captured boats due to illegal fishing in Korean waters, separate from fines, up to 100 million won ($88,650).

Previously, impounding fees ranged from 40 million won to 70 million won, but they are now between 50 million won to 100 million won, according to the SPO.

The prosecution also increased the levels of maximum fines to 70 million won for the transfer of fish illegally caught in Korean waters from 50 million won and to 50 million won for the use of unpermitted nets from 40 million won.

It also decided to increase the volume of helicopters as well as large and medium-sized petrol vessels in the Korean waters around the clock.

The number of Chinese fishing boats operating in the nation’s EEZ has surged in recent years. Not only in the West Sea and the South Sea, they have begun venturing into the East Sea, indiscriminately catching fish regardless of size and sabotaging fishing gear installed by Korean fishermen.

According to the SPO, the number of Chinese trawlers caught for illegal fishing between January and November this year increased to 439, up from 300 in the same period last year.

The SPO said they will beef up the clampdown on illegal fishing by Chinese boats in cooperation with the Korean Coast Guard (KCG) to preserve marine resources in Korean waters and protect the interests of local fishermen.

“We will do our best to root out illegal fishing by Chinese in our waters through stricter measures,” an official from the KCG said.

“We will arrest and seek severe punishment of illegal Chinese fishermen and request additional punishment against them by the Chinese authorities, as well.”

But during operations, KCG officers are often wounded while rounding up Chinese fishing boats.

In the latest incident last month, five officers enforcing the law were injured by violent Chinese fishermen.

According to the Jeju Coast Guard, a 1,500-ton patrol vessel seized a Chinese boat illegally fishing in the waters 12 kilometers northwest of the resort island on Nov. 19, but during the clampdown, five officers were attacked by sailors resisting arrest using sharp objects.

In another incident, a 63-ton Chinese boat intentionally rammed a 3,000-ton Coast Guard patrol vessel in waters off Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, injuring four officers, on Nov. 12. The Chinese boat sank and two sailors were killed as a result of the clash.

檢, EEZ 중국어선 불법조업 엄단…담보금 상향

대검찰청 공안부는 배타적 경제수역(EEZ) 내 중국 어선의 불법 조업에 대해 담보금 증액 등으로 엄정 대처하겠다고 4일 밝혔다.

대검은 무허가 조업을 억제하고 처벌 효과를 극대화하기 위해 단속된 선박 등 압수물의 반환에 필요한 담보금을 종전 4천만~7천만원에서 5천만~1억원(법정형 상한액)으로 상향 조정하도록 지난 1일 일선 검찰청에 지시했다.

그 외 어획물 전적(다른 배에 옮겨싣는 행위)은 3천만~6천만원에서 4천만~7천만원으로, 조업수역 위반 및 망목규제 위반(그물코를 허가된 크기보다 더 작게 만들어 포획하는 행위)·이중그물 사용은 각각 1천500만~4천만원에서 2천만~5천만원으로 상향됐다.

검찰은 지난 1~11월 EEZ 내에서 무허가 조업을 벌이다 단속된 선박은 총 439척으로 전년 같은 기간(300척)에 비해 46% 증가하는 등 불법행위가 기승을 부리고 있어 이같이 조치했다고 설명했다.

또 종전과 같이 해경 등 유관기관과 긴밀히 협조해 해상에서의 폭력행위에 대해서는 구속수사할 방침이다.