Since the start of the peak season in the autumn fishing grounds, South Korean authorities have been intensifying efforts to combat illegal fishing activities by Chinese fishing vessels. On Tuesday (October 15), South Korea announced that they detained another Chinese vessel engaged in illegal fishing within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
According to Kang Do-hyung, the Minister of Fisheries at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of South Korea, as stated in a declaration from the West Sea Fisheries Management Service, on Monday (October 14) at around 5:20 p.m. local time, a Chinese trawler named “Jindang A” was discovered in waters northwest of Geojedo Island in South Jeolla Province approximately 48 nautical miles (55 miles) off the coast.
The statement revealed that the Chinese fishing vessel entered South Korean waters around 1 a.m. on Tuesday (October 8) and was apprehended by the national fishery patrol vessel “Mugunghwa 24,” operated by the West Sea Fisheries Management Service, on the 14th.
As per the logbook of the “Jindang A,” as of the 14th, the vessel had caught a total of 5,260 kilograms of fish, including yellow corvina, and transferred 4,335 kilograms to a transport vessel, with 925 kilograms of catch supposed to be in the fish hold. However, South Korean authorities found an additional 5,715 kilograms of unrecorded catch hidden in hidden compartments onboard.
Park Chun-il, the director of the West Sea Fisheries Management Service, stated, “With the peak of the yellow corvina season approaching, we suspect Chinese vessels entering our waters may be underreporting their catch. We will vigorously combat illegal Chinese fishing vessels to protect our country’s fishing resources and fishermen.”
This announcement comes as Seoul steps up efforts to crack down on illegal fishing activities. Autumn marks the peak season in the Yellow Sea (referred to as the West Sea in South Korea), and maritime authorities anticipate an increase in illegal foreign fishing activities within South Korea’s EEZ.
The organization mentioned that investigations are ongoing, and if the charges of illegal fishing are confirmed, appropriate penalties will be imposed in accordance with relevant laws.
Since 2024, the South Korean Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries has enhanced surveillance and supervision of Chinese fishing vessels entering its EEZ, including requiring all Chinese vessels passing through the EEZ to broadcast their location via automatic identification systems and keep catch records for inspection.
Under international maritime law, coastal states have exclusive rights to natural resources within their EEZ, which extends 200 nautical miles (approximately 230 miles) from their coastlines. Vessels from other countries are allowed to navigate in this area but are not permitted to engage in resource extraction or fishing activities without permission.
The Beijing authorities have consistently insisted that their fishing vessels operate in accordance with these regulations. According to a report by “Newsweek,” the Chinese Embassy in the United States previously stated that China has implemented a “voluntary fishing moratorium in certain high seas areas” and employs “the strictest vessel monitoring and management measures.”
Earlier this month, the Special Security Guard in the Five West Sea Islands detained two 40-50 ton Chinese fishing vessels suspected of “illegal fishing.” Two days later, South Korean authorities seized a 300 ton Chinese fishing vessel and vowed to intensify efforts to combat China’s illegal fishing activities in the adjacent waters.
China possesses the world’s largest and most numerous distant water fishing fleets. According to the IUU Fishing Index, China ranks the worst among 152 countries in the world for illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing activities.
The international non-governmental organization Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), in a report released at the beginning of 2024, revealed that China’s distant water fishing industry, as a vital component of the “blue economy,” has long been heavily supported by the Chinese government.