West Sea Coast Guard Inspects 38 Foreign Fishing Vessels, Detains 3

Nighttime Patrols Extended to Remote Seas Including Hongdo and Gageodo

The West Regional Coast Guard Headquarters (Commissioner: Lee Myungjun), which is actively engaged in protecting fishery resources and safeguarding maritime sovereignty in the southern waters of the West Sea, inspected as many as 38 Chinese fishing vessels and seized three unauthorized vessels, including unlicensed ones, between the 19th and the morning of the 20th.

According to the West Regional Coast Guard, Patrol Vessel 3010 of the Gunsan Coast Guard, in joint operation with Mokpo's 1508 and Taean's 1507 vessels, conducted an inspection of foreign fishing boats near 50 nautical miles northwest of Hongdo on the night of the 19th. They seized a 300-ton Chinese fishing vessel operating without a license, blocked four vessels, and expelled one.

A boarding obstruction boom and wire are installed on the side of the Chinese vessel. Provided by the West Sea Regional Coast Guard.

The seized vessel had installed booms and connected wires on its sides to hinder boarding, making inspection and seizure difficult.

Additionally, Mokpo Coast Guard's 3015 vessel, in cooperation with Busan's 1501 vessel, actively participated in day and night inspections. On the same day, they inspected 11 Chinese fishing vessels near 40 nautical miles northwest of Gageodo and seized two vessels for violating restrictions such as failing to record the reason for AIS (Automatic Identification System) deactivation.

Lee Myungjun, Commissioner of the West Regional Coast Guard, stated, "Since early October, when fishing grounds formed in the southern West Sea, we have been proactively preventing illegal activities by foreign fishing vessels through the use of patrol vessels and low-altitude surveillance flights. We will continue to do our utmost to protect fishery resources and ensure the safety and lives of our citizens during the winter season."