Chinese Ship Seized Amid Crackdown by Maritime Authorities

South Korea said on Tuesday it had seized another Chinese ship operating within its maritime zone.

Oceans and Fisheries Minister Kang Do-hyung said a vessel identified as the Jindang A had been discovered about 48 nautical miles (55 miles) northwest of South Jeolla Province’s Gageo Island, per a statement from the West Sea Fisheries Management Service.

The announcement comes as Seoul steps up its crackdown on illicit fishing activities. Autumn is a peak season for fishing grounds in the Yellow Sea, known in Korea as the West Sea, and the country’s maritime authorities have said they expect an accompanying rise in illicit foreign fishing activities within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

According to the statement, the Chinese vessel “entered Korean waters” at about 1 a.m. on Tuesday and was seized at around 5:20 p.m. by officials arriving on Fisheries Management Service ship the Mugunghwa 24.

The crew had caught 5.8 tons of fish as of Monday, with 4.8 tons having been transferred to another vessel, according to the Jindang A‘s log. However, 6.3 tons not mentioned in the log was discovered tucked away in a hidden compartment in the fish hold, the report said.

The agency said its investigation at the site was ongoing and that a bond for the ship would be issued if the alleged illegal fishing was confirmed.

“We will do our best to protect our fishery resources by cracking down on Chinese illegal fishing vessels to protect our fishery resources and fishermen,” West Sea Fisheries Management Service chief Park Chun-il said.

The statement stressed the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries has strengthened measures to prevent such activities, including requiring all Chinese ships sailing through the EEZ to broadcast their positions with automatic identification systems to keep onboard documentation of their catches for this year.

The South Korean coast guard and Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately respond to written requests for comment.

Maritime law stipulates coastal states have the sole right to natural resources within their EEZs. Foreign-flagged vessels are permitted to sail in the zone, which extends 200 nautical miles (230 miles) from the claimant country’s coastline.

Beijing has maintained its fishing boats operate in accordance with these rules. The Chinese embassy in the U.S. previously told Newsweek China sets “voluntary fishing moratoriums in certain parts of the high sea” and maintains the “most rigorous steps in vessel position monitoring and management.”

Last week, South Korea’s coast guard responded to “large numbers” of Chinese vessels near the country’s outlying islands, including Gageo, with the agency dispatching a patrol plane to fly overhead and issue radio warnings.

A dozen of the ships were ejected and four were intercepted by a South Korean coast guard cutter. None were found to have violated fishing regulations.

Earlier this month, the coast guard said it had ejected 28 Chinese vessels and seized two suspected of illicit fishing in restricted waters about 50 miles southwest of Socheong Island. The agency said it had confiscated a large haul of fish from one of the boats.

China’s commercial fishing fleet, the largest in the world with over half a million vessels, is frequently accused of engaging in illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, posing a significant threat to global ecosystems, fish populations, and the livelihoods of fishermen who depend on these resources.