North Korean boats conducting illegal fishing in Japan's exclusive economic zone around the Yamatotai fishing ground have been spotted more frequently since 2017, prompting the Fisheries Agency and the Japan Coast Guard to dispatch vessels to the surrounding waters.
The JCG began deploying patrol ships in the area in May this year and has issued warnings to 1,016 vessels to leave as of Monday. The JCG used water cannons against 189 of those vessels.
Dangerous incidents have occurred during surveillance activities, including in autumn last year, when a JCG patrol ship was damaged after a collision with a North Korean fishing boat.
In late August, a high-speed craft that appeared to be registered with North Korea approached a JCG patrol vessel. Its armed crew pointed rifles at the JCG ship, among other threatening gestures, prompting the government to file a protest against Pyongyang via embassy channels in Beijing.
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