By Here is an update on Seoul’s efforts to combat the illegal Chinese fishing boats that continue to violate Korea’s territorial waters and assault their Coast Guard personnel:
The owners of foreign fishing boats captured while operating illegally in Korean waters will have to pay higher fines to reclaim their boats, the prosecution said Sunday.
The measure is a part of efforts to strengthen the crackdown on an increasing number of Chinese trawlers unlawfully fishing in the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
According to the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office (SPO), it recently hiked impounding fees, charged to the owners of captured boats due to illegal fishing in Korean waters, separate from fines, up to 100 million won ($88,650).
Previously, impounding fees ranged from 40 million won to 70 million won, but they are now between 50 million won to 100 million won, according to the SPO.
The prosecution also increased the levels of maximum fines to 70 million won for the transfer of fish illegally caught in Korean waters from 50 million won and to 50 million won for the use of unpermitted nets from 40 million won.
It also decided to increase the volume of helicopters as well as large and medium-sized petrol vessels in the Korean waters around the clock.
The number of Chinese fishing boats operating in the nation’s EEZ has surged in recent years. Not only in the West Sea and the South Sea, they have begun venturing into the East Sea, indiscriminately catching fish regardless of size and sabotaging fishing gear installed by Korean fishermen.
According to the SPO, the number of Chinese trawlers caught for illegal fishing between January and November this year increased to 439, up from 300 in the same period last year. [Korea Times]
The increased fines should help, but I still don’t think it is enough of a deterrent to stop these thugs from continuing their illegal activities.
She hasn’t seen...
5:49 pm on December 5th, 2011 1
Fine only work if they are paid, and only if their in excess of what the illegal fishers would be making on the fish.
I still think they should sink the fishing boats and deport the fishers back to China.
6:24 pm on December 5th, 2011 2
I assume the ROK coast guard will confiscate illegally taken fish.
11:45 pm on December 6th, 2011 3
Yes but how many times can the boat illegally fish per incident? And where exactly would the coast guard put the fish, their boats don’t exactly come equipped with the rigging nor the hold space for fish.
12:07 am on December 7th, 2011 4
someotherguy, I know less about coast guard procedures than you do. Maybe they take some of the fish to court as evidence, or maybe they just get pictures of them and then dump them in the sea. But I assume they don’t let offenders keep the proceeds of a crime! Anyhow, long live the Republic of Korea. May it soon regain its north, and may it defend itself vigorously.
1:21 am on December 7th, 2011 5
Well knowing the Korean political / military system, they probably take bribes to let the Chinese fishers keep their catch. I’d figured they’d make em dump it overboard, but I can’t see that happening every time, too many Chinese boats, too few coast guard boats.
Like I said, sink the fishing boats, deport the fishers. Sends a strong message and doesn’t kill anyone.
1:51 am on December 12th, 2011 6
Chinese fishermen have killed a member of the ROK Coast Guard. China is closely following the case. Here’s the story by Paula Hancocks at CNN.
1:52 am on December 12th, 2011 7
Did I say something wrong? I linked to a news report about Chinese fishermen killing a ROK coastguardsman, but my comment disappeared.
1:53 am on December 12th, 2011 8
Here’s the link.
10:31 pm on December 15th, 2011 9
You are right GI Korea, a fine is not enough reason to make them stop from continuing their illegal activities.
9:53 pm on January 17th, 2012 10
Hmm, I agree.
Illegal is illegal.
NOT ALLOWED!