According to a report by the Japan Fisheries Agency on Friday (February 13), a Chinese fishing boat in the waters near Nagasaki Prefecture in Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) refused to cooperate with enforcement inspection and attempted to escape, and was seized according to law, with the captain being arrested on the spot. This is the first time since 2022 that a Chinese fishing boat has been seized by Japan.
On the 12th, in the waters of Japan’s exclusive economic zone approximately 89.4 nautical miles southwest of the Noto Island Lighthouse in the city of Gotō in Nagasaki Prefecture, about 170 kilometers from the island, the agency’s enforcement vessel discovered a Chinese trawler in operation. Enforcement officers requested the vessel to stop and allow fisheries supervision officials to board for inspection, but the vessel did not cooperate and tried to escape.
Immediately afterwards, based on relevant legal provisions, the Japanese side arrested the captain of the vessel on suspicion of refusing and evading inspection. The arrested individual is a 47-year-old Chinese man, and there were a total of 11 people on board at the time of the incident. Japan stated that the case will be further investigated and processed in accordance with the law.
The Fisheries Agency stated that in order to prevent foreign fishing vessels from engaging in illegal fishing activities in the waters around Japan, they will continue to strengthen maritime patrols and boarding inspections. This case marks the first seizure of a foreign fishing vessel by the Fisheries Agency this year and the first detention of a Chinese fishing boat since 2022.
According to the latest annual report from the Fisheries Agency, a total of 10 boarding inspections were conducted throughout 2025, resulting in the seizure of 2 fishing vessels and the confiscation of 13 pieces of suspected illegally set fishing gear. The 2 foreign fishing vessels seized last year were from South Korea and Taiwan.
(Adapted from reporting by Kyodo News)