Sept. 20 (UPI) — The South Korea coast guard has detained four Chinese boats that were engaged in “illegal fishing” in South Korea territorial waters near the country’s southernmost Jeju Island.
The Jeju regional maritime police said the four boats, including the Chinese-flagged Beitang, and a 40-ton drift net boat, were among the vessels captured, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported Thursday.
The boats were stopped in an area about 53 miles southwest of Chagwi Islet and have been charged with illegally catching anywhere from 2 to 8 tons of fish, according to the report.
The Chinese drift net boat was using nets, only 40 millimeters in diameter, to catch fish. The nets violate South Korea regulations that do not allow the use of nets below 50 millimeters in diameter, according to Yonhap.
Local Jeju news service Headline Jeju reported Thursday the boats were detained at 12:10 p.m.
Jeju maritime police told the news service that they will “do their utmost to protect fish stock in Jeju waters” while guarding against illegal foreign vessels.
On Wednesday, the South Korea coast guard apprehended one Chinese fishing boat west of Biyang Island off the Jeju coast.
A surge of Chinese fishing vessels in South Korean waters near the maritime border has been an issue for Seoul.
In 2017, as many as 1,500 Chinese fishing boats were active in South Korea waters.
Chinese fishermen are known to use a method called bull trawling — illegal in South Korea — to maximize their catches of fish, but the tactic leads to permanent damage to the ecosystem, according to the Los Angeles Times.
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