South Korea has seized six Chinese fishing boats on suspicions of fishing illegally in its exclusive economic zone in the Yellow Sea, the oceans ministry said Tuesday.
The six boats were seized and levied fines totaling 240 million won ($163,176.6) during a joint crackdown between the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Korea Coast Guard conducted from Dec. 2 to Sunday, the ministry said in a press release.
They also conducted an inspection of 241 Chinese fishing boats to find 15 illegal gill nets installed off waters near Jeju Island and are currently removing them, it added.
The authorities plan to assess the scale of the illegal fishing gear and demand China take corrective measures.
Chinese vessels have often been accused of engaging in various illegal practices within South Korea's EEZ, including unlicensed fishing, underreporting catch and using banned gear.
In response, South Korea and China agreed early last month to strengthen cooperation in dealing with Chinese boats caught for violating rules on territorial waters and using violence. (Yonhap)
