Korea, China to jointly crack down on illegal fishing

In this photo from March 18, 2021, a Korea Coast Guard officer inspects a Chinese ship that was illegally fishing on Korea's eastern waters near Yeonpyeong Island of Incheon's Ongjin District. Courtesy of Korea Coast Guard

South Korea's oceans ministry said Tuesday it plans to conduct a joint operation with its Chinese counterpart to curb illegal fishing activities in the Yellow Sea.

Fisheries authorities from both countries will conduct joint rounds of inspections in the Yellow Sea from Wednesday to Sunday, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.

Under the plan, South Korea will deploy a 2,000-ton patrol boat, while China will send a 3,000-ton vessel.

South Korea and China have been carrying out joint operations since 2014. So far, a total of 31 unauthorized Chinese fishing boats were caught through the joint crackdown.

"We have been making diplomatic efforts to prevent illegal fishing activities by Chinese boats," the ministry said in a statement. "We plan to continue cooperate with Chinese authorities to protect our marine resources." (Yonhap)