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.