[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Junhyung] A Chinese fishing vessel that illegally fished by crossing the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the waters off Yeonpyeongdo, Incheon, was seized by the Coast Guard.
The West Sea 5 Islands Special Security Unit of the Central Regional Coast Guard announced on the 19th that it seized one 60-ton Chinese fishing vessel and ordered three others to leave on charges of violating the "Act on the Exercise of Sovereign Rights for Foreign Fisheries in the Exclusive Economic Zone."
The Chinese fishing vessel is accused of illegally fishing by crossing the NLL by 6 km in the waters 27 km southwest of Yeonpyeongdo, Ongjin-gun, Incheon, at around 5:50 p.m. that day.
The Coast Guard detected the illegally fishing Chinese vessels on radar and deployed five vessels, including two 500-ton patrol ships. In cooperation with four naval vessels, they seized one Chinese fishing vessel and ordered three others nearby to leave. When the Coast Guard launched the seizure operation, the Chinese fishing vessels locked the wheelhouse doors and fled to the North Korean waters beyond the West Sea NLL.
Special task force members of the Coast Guard boarded one Chinese fishing vessel, forcibly opened the wheelhouse door, and stopped the engine in the engine room, seizing the vessel in about eight minutes. The Coast Guard also confiscated 500 kg of catch, including bycatch, caught through illegal fishing on the Chinese vessel.
The seized Chinese fishing vessel is being moved to the Coast Guard's exclusive pier in Incheon along with Coast Guard vessels. The Coast Guard plans to investigate the details of the illegal fishing after the COVID-19 test results of the seven crew members, including the captain, come back negative.
Since the spread of COVID-19 last year, the Coast Guard has mainly taken measures to drive Chinese fishing vessels out of our territorial waters to avoid contact with Chinese crew members. However, recently, as more than 150 Chinese fishing vessels have gathered daily in the West Sea NLL waters, the Coast Guard has actively pursued seizure operations.
A representative of the West Sea 5 Islands Special Security Unit said, "Since the first seizure on the 18th of last month, this is the fifth Chinese fishing vessel seized in the West Sea NLL," adding, "We plan to focus on cracking down on illegal Chinese fishing vessels for the time being."
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