The number of Chinese fishing boats operating illegally around the Yamato Bank area, a good fishing ground off the Noto Peninsula in the Sea of Japan, has increased sharply since this spring, the Japan Coast Guard and the Fisheries Agency have found.
The number of such boats that the Fisheries Agency has warned to leave is six times greater than that of the same period last year, and the number of boats warned by the JCG is also higher than last year. Local fishermen have voiced their concerns about poor catches due to overfishing.
In the Yamato Bank area, located in Japan's exclusive economic zone, the agency conducts year-round enforcement efforts against illegal fishing. During squid fishing season, normally from June to December, the agency conducts joint enforcement with the JCG.
According to the agency, this year's first case of illegal fishing was confirmed in the area in late April, one month earlier than last year. By May 27, the agency had warned a total of 320 Chinese fishing boats to leave the area. The agency used water cannon to drive 91 such boats away from the area.
Last year, warnings were issued to 54 boats from late May to June 1, and the number this year jumped about six-fold. "We don't know their intentions, but this year many Chinese fishing boats are there from early on," an official of the agency said.
This year, the JCG joined enforcement efforts around May 26, and by June 14 the JCG had warned 148 Chinese boats to leave the area, exceeding last year's 107 vessels. The Yamato Bank area is under the jurisdiction of the 9th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters, but it has also received support from outside the regional headquarters.
Illegal fishing by North Korean fishing boats has been conspicuous in the area in the past, but last year it decreased dramatically. This is believed to be due to the coronavirus pandemic. On the other hand, the number of Chinese fishing boats has been increasing, and the authorities expect this trend to continue this year.
In Noto, Ishikawa Prefecture, squid fishing just started on June 6. An official of a local fisheries association said, "I think overfishing is the main reason for the recent poor catch in the Yamato Bank area, and I'm worried about this year's catch."
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