No. of Chinese boats fishing illegally near NLL more than double despite crackdown
Chinese fishing boats seized near Yeonpyeong Island in the West Sea are seen in the photo. Courtesy of Korea Coast Guard
The number of Chinese fishing boats operating illegally near the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the West Sea has more than doubled since the government announced a sweeping crackdown in late August, the Korea Coast Guard said Friday.
About 190 Chinese boats were operating near the de facto inter-Korean sea border early this month, up from about 80 in late August. The figure is 50 fewer than the 240 counted a year earlier, and the number of boats typically rises during the autumn fishing season.
The Coast Guard and the ministries of foreign affairs, unification, national defense and oceans and fisheries announced joint measures Aug. 27.
They included deploying more Coast Guard special operations personnel, forcibly removing illegal fishing gear, installing artificial structures to block illegal fishing and revising the law to penalize vessels that anchor for purposes unrelated to passage.
The Coast Guard said at the time that its goal was to drive all Chinese fishing boats out of the area.
Foreign vessels are banned from fishing in the waters, but Chinese boats exploit the division of the Korean Peninsula, crossing back and forth over the NLL. The boats are so-called “three-no” vessels — lacking registration papers, a home port and a name — and are unlicensed in China as well, so they stay in the area for long periods to avoid Chinese authorities on their return.
They often flee into North Korean waters when a seizure operation begins, making enforcement difficult. Tensions surrounding the crackdown have also risen since a land mine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone last month worsened inter-Korean relations.
With the Navy’s support, the Coast Guard has seized 13 Chinese boats near the NLL so far this year, more than triple the four seized in all of last year.
“We believe the government-wide measures are gradually starting to curb illegal fishing by Chinese boats as they are carried out one by one,” a Coast Guard official said. “We plan to continue cracking down firmly to root out illegal fishing by Chinese boats.”