Mystery deepens as crewless Chinese fishing boats appear near Korea’s border islands

Three unmanned vessels believed to be Chinese fishing boats have been found in waters near the five Yellow Sea islands in Ongjin County, Incheon, within the span of just a few months.

Foreign fishing boats without crew members had previously been extremely rare in the area. But similar cases have occurred repeatedly over a short period this year, prompting speculation over why the vessels are turning up abandoned.

Three foreign fishing vessels believed to be Chinese have been found empty in waters near the five Yellow Sea islands — Baengnyeong, Daecheong, Socheong, Yeonpyeong and Soyeongpyeong islands — since June, according to the Korea Coast Guard on Tuesday.

On June 2, a high-speed boat believed to be a Chinese fishing vessel caught fire about 38 kilometers (24 miles) southeast of Socheong Island in Ongjin County. Two Coast Guard patrol vessels were dispatched to extinguish the fire.

On July 18, authorities received a report that a vessel believed to be a Chinese wooden boat was taking on water about 800 meters (875 yards) south of the Northern Limit Line (NLL), north of Yeonpyeong Island. Three Coast Guard patrol vessels and two Navy high-speed boats were dispatched to the scene.

Another wooden boat believed to be a Chinese fishing vessel sank 6.4 kilometers east of Yeonpyeong Island on Sept. 9, triggering a joint search involving six vessels — two Coast Guard patrol vessels and four Navy ships.

The unusual string of incidents has prompted various theories about what may be behind them.

One possibility is that China's intensified crackdown on unlicensed and illegal fishing vessels since May has played a role. Illegal Chinese fishing boats often conduct fishing operations for extended periods near the NLL in the Yellow Sea, where enforcement is difficult due to security reasons.

Some speculate that crews of so-called “three-no vessels” — boats with no registration, nationality or fishing license — may have abandoned their vessels and returned to China because the tougher crackdown made it difficult to sail the boats back home.

Another possibility is that the vessels simply developed mechanical problems or drifted with ocean currents and were discovered in succession.

“With crewless ‘three-no vessels,’ we can only presume that they are Chinese fishing boats based on equipment and other items found aboard,” a Coast Guard official said. “It is difficult to conduct a thorough investigation, so it is also difficult to determine why these vessels are being found in waters near the five Yellow Sea islands.”

The appearance of these “ghost” Chinese vessels also requires Korean authorities to devote personnel and public funds to dealing with them.

Searching for people in distress at sea is an international humanitarian obligation. When a drifting foreign fishing vessel is found, the Coast Guard must dispatch patrol vessels and personnel to check for any crew members or missing people.

During the July incident, authorities even sought assistance from civilian vessels through the international safety communications center, the Navigational Telex system and the Gyeonggi Incheon coastal vessel traffic service. In the September incident, authorities again deployed vessels and searched the boat's interior and surrounding waters using thermal imaging cameras and other equipment. No crew members or missing people were found in either search, and no casualties were reported.

Once a search is completed, the vessel is handed over to Ongjin County, the regional government with jurisdiction over the area, which is then responsible for disposing of the hull.

Ongjin County has no separate budget for dealing with abandoned foreign fishing vessels because such cases had not been anticipated. It must therefore secure additional funding to salvage, transport and dispose of the vessels, creating an unexpected financial burden.

“We had never had to take custody of and dispose of an ownerless foreign fishing vessel, so we did not set aside a separate budget for it,” an Ongjin County official said. “We are discussing the matter with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and other relevant agencies to determine what support may be available.”

BY BYUN MIN-CHUL [[email protected]]