Gov't to implement new measures to crack down more strongly on illegal fishing near NLL

The government will crack down more heavily on Chinese fishing boats operating illegally near the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the Yellow Sea.

The government will strengthen measures against Chinese fishing boats near the NLL, forcibly remove illegal fishing gear, such as traps, and install additional artificial structures to prevent the act, according to a briefing by the ministries of foreign affairs, unification, national defense and oceans and fisheries and the Korea Coast Guard on Thursday.

Additionally, it will increase on-site enforcement measures, expand diplomatic cooperation and streamline information-sharing procedures between the military and Coast Guard. The government also plans to revise regulations to penalize vessels for anchoring at sea and receiving supplies.

Currently, authorities can only do so for illegal fishing in waters near the NLL. But the government plans to revise the Enforcement Decree of the Territorial Sea and Contiguous Zone Act to make anchoring or stopping for purposes unrelated to passage subject to legal punishment. The change would allow the Coast Guard to examine boats stopping for fishing purposes and supply vessels without obtaining evidence of illegal fishing.

More specifically, the Ministry of National Defense will strengthen joint assessments with the Coast Guard of illegal foreign fishing vessels anchored or moored near the NLL. It will also expand its evidence-sharing system and provide on-site support through surveillance and monitoring.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries will begin operating a dedicated vessel in September to remove illegal fishing gear, including traps installed by Chinese fishing boats, in waters near the NLL.

The government also plans to establish a special response unit on Baengnyeong Island under the Coast Guard’s special security unit for the five northwestern border islands.

The special security units currently operate on Yeonpyeong and Daecheong islands, each with 30 special operations personnel and two high-speed response boats. With the Baengnyeong unit, the Coast Guard will add 50 personnel and deploy two more response boats.

The government will strengthen joint enforcement and diplomatic cooperation with China as well, with the Oceans Ministry planning to call for implementation of agreements reached by the Korea-China Joint Fisheries Committee. Under the agreements, Korea will notify the Chinese Coast Guard of illegal fishing activities, and Chinese authorities will take strict action against offenders and report the results back to Korea.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to urge the Chinese government to make active efforts to inform its fishermen about illegal fishing. Korean diplomatic missions will also publicize a legal revision that took effect in May, which raised Korea’s maximum fine for illegal fishing by Chinese vessels from 300 million won ($217,300) to 1.5 billion won.

In the longer term, the Ministry of Unification will continue pursuing practical cooperation measures, such as creating a “peace zone” in the Yellow Sea to establish a stable fishing order in the area.

The government plans to begin full-scale joint enforcement of the new measures next month, when the blue crab fishing season begins.

Foreign vessels are prohibited from fishing in waters south of the NLL. Chinese fishing boats, however, have repeatedly crossed back and forth over the NLL to fish, exploiting the security situation created by the division of the Korean Peninsula.

President Lee Jae Myung previously called for measures to address the problem after observing illegal fishing by Chinese vessels during a visit to an observatory on Yeonpyeong Island on June 24.

“They have crossed the NLL […] and I don’t think that we can just leave the matter alone,” he said. “Isn’t this going too far, [illegally fishing] in broad daylight?”

BY CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]