Illegal fishing by Chinese boats has been increasing rapidly around the Yamato Bank area, a bountiful fishing ground in the Sea of Japan. The government must respond firmly to protect the interests of Japanese fishermen.
The Yamato Bank is located in the central part of the Sea of Japan off the coast of the Noto Peninsula. And abundance of squid and crabs are caught there, as it is shallow and a place where warm and cold currents converge. The bank is located within Japan's exclusive economic zone, which is under this nation's economic sovereignty, and foreign fishing boats are not allowed to operate there without permission.
However in recent years, illegal fishing by North Korean boats has become commonplace. Last year, an incident occurred in which a North Korean fishing boat collided with a patrol boat of the Fisheries Agency.
Since the beginning of this year, the number of Chinese fishing boats has increased rapidly. As of Nov. 18, the Fisheries Agency had issued more than 4,000 warnings to Chinese fishing boats, about four times the number last year. Such acts violate Japan's sovereignty and cannot be tolerated.
The Fisheries Agency and the Japan Coast Guard reportedly use water hose to drive away fishing boats that fail to heed warnings. But the authorities explain that there have been too many ships to stop. It is hoped that the government will strengthen its monitoring and control of the area.
The Japanese government has asked the Chinese government to deal with the situation, but there has been no clear improvement. It is essential for Japan to make diplomatic efforts to repeatedly urge China to take effective measures.
Analysis by an international nonprofit organization that monitors fishing with satellites and other means found that Chinese fishing boats caught more Japanese flying squid in waters around the bank from 2017 to 2018 than Japanese fishing boats.
According to a Fisheries Agency survey, there were just over 700,000 tons of Japanese flying squid in waters near Japan in 2019, representing a decline of 70% over the past five years.
If illegal overfishing by large Chinese fishing boats is not stopped, the depletion of resources could become even more serious.
According to the agency, there has been a sharp decrease in North Korean fishing boats this year compared to the situation up to last year, when such ships were conspicuous. North Korea is believed to be restricting fishing due to the novel coronavirus.
The number of Chinese fishing boats is possibly increasing because they have replaced North Korean boats as Pyongyang is selling its fishing rights to China due to its financial hardships.
The U.N. Security Council has adopted a resolution banning North Korea from buying or selling fishing rights. The Japanese government needs to cooperate with the international community to clarify the situation.
In September, a North Korean government ship sailed through the Yamato Bank, and the agency had to ask Japanese fishing boats to refrain from fishing in the area. Fishermen could not operate until late October.
The agency said that the measure was to ensure safety, but this is just putting the cart before the horse. The government should warn North Korea over this matter.
-- The original Japanese article appeared in The Yomiuri Shimbun on Nov. 23, 2020.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
