South Korean authorities have seized another Chinese fishing vessel on October 5th, following the detention of two Chinese ships suspected of illegal fishing on October 3rd. They have vowed to intensify efforts to combat the illegal fishing activities of the Chinese Communist Party in nearby waters.
According to the South Korean newspaper Kyeonggi Ilbo, the South Korean Coast Guard Special Security Force in the West Sea Islands confiscated a 300-ton Chinese fishing vessel on October 5th. The vessel was caught fishing illegally in the waters near Socheong Island, one of the West Sea Islands within South Korea’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), violating South Korean maritime laws.
The Chinese fishing vessel was suspected of illegally entering a designated area approximately 16.7 kilometers southwest of Socheong Island in Incheon’s Ongjin County for fishing operations around 4 a.m., as reported by the South Korean Coast Guard.
The South Korean authorities managed to apprehend the fishing vessel attempting to escape and arrested 16 Chinese crew members on board.
A significant amount of catch was discovered on the Chinese fishing vessel, which was confiscated and taken to Incheon for further investigation.
Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing severely harms global fish resources, ecosystems, and the livelihoods of legal fishermen. The Chinese Communist Party exacerbates this serious issue with the world’s largest distant water fishing fleet.
An official from the South Korean Coast Guard mentioned that an increasing number of Chinese fishing vessels engage in illegal fishing during the peak fishing season in autumn, and they are determined to crack down on these activities to maintain fishing order.
On October 3rd, the Special Security Force in the West Sea Islands also seized two Chinese fishing vessels weighing 40 to 50 tons suspected of engaging in “illegal fishing.”
According to the Coast Guard, the two Chinese fishing vessels were caught fishing illegally within 12 nautical miles of a specific area about 80 kilometers southwest of Socheong Island during the investigation at 3:30 p.m.
When the Coast Guard pursued one of the rapidly fleeing Chinese fishing vessels, the other vessel linked with nine other Chinese fishing vessels to resist capture.
According to the US media outlet Newsweek, Chinese fishermen often employ a tactic known as the “linked strategy,” as dubbed by the South Korean Coast Guard, to evade arrest. When law enforcement officers board one vessel, the crew members transfer to another vessel before cutting the rope of the last vessel and swiftly escaping.
Additionally, 28 other Chinese fishing vessels were expelled from the nearby waters, and a substantial amount of catch was seized from one of the vessels.
Currently, the eight Chinese crew members detained on October 3rd, including the captains of the two ships, are under investigation. The Coast Guard is contemplating imposing a fine of 300 million South Korean won (approximately 223,000 US dollars) on these vessels or transferring them to the specialized Coast Guard pier in Incheon.