Korea unveils tougher measures to curb illegal Chinese fishing near NLL

Korea's government said Thursday it will step up crackdowns on Chinese fishing vessels illegally operating in waters near the inter-Korean sea border in the West Sea.

The Korea Coast Guard held a joint press briefing in Seoul with the foreign, unification, defense and fisheries ministries to announce the government's comprehensive measures to counter foreign vessels illegally operating near the Northern Limit Line (NLL), the de facto maritime border between the two Koreas.

They said the government will implement four countermeasures, including intensifying crackdowns on Chinese fishing vessels operating near the NLL, forcibly removing illegal fishing gear, strengthening on-site enforcement capabilities and enhancing cooperative enforcement and diplomatic cooperation.

Specifically, the government will streamline information-sharing procedures between the military and police and punish acts of anchoring at sea and supplying goods through amendments to relevant laws.

The fisheries ministry plans to deploy dedicated vessels to forcibly remove traps and other illegal fishing gear installed by Chinese fishing vessels in waters near the NLL, while installing 34 additional artificial structures to prevent fishing operations in the area.

The Korea Coast Guard will establish a new special enforcement unit on Baengnyeong Island to crack down on illegal Chinese fishing operations, in addition to existing enforcement units based on Yeonpyeong and Daecheong islands.

The foreign ministry plans to urge the Chinese government to take active measures, such as guiding its fishermen and stepping up crackdowns on illegal fishing, while informing them through overseas diplomatic missions about an amendment to Korean law that raised the maximum fine for illegal Chinese fishing operations from 300 million won ($217,500) to 1.5 billion won starting in May.

The unification ministry handling inter-Korean affairs said it will continue efforts to establish effective and long-term measures to secure lasting peace and a stable maritime order in the West Sea, such as building a peace zone.

As the autumn crab fishing season begins next month, the government plans to bolster interagency crackdowns on illegal foreign fishing vessels near the NLL under the new framework, officials said.

The waters south of the NLL are designated as a special exclusion zone where foreign fishing vessels are prohibited from operating, but Chinese fishing boats frequently exploit the division of the Korean Peninsula by crossing the NLL from the north to engage in illegal fishing in Korean waters.

The number of Chinese fishing vessels illegally operating in waters near the NLL had averaged about 200 per day in 2016, but has since decreased to fewer than 100.