Tag: fishermen

Considering the violence used in the past by Chinese fishermen against the Coast Guard to include murder, I wonder if this shooting was in response to violence against the Coast Guard personnel?

A Chinese fisherman was killed during the Coast Guard’s crackdown on his ship’s illegal fishing in South Korean waters Friday, officials said.

The 45-year-old skipper, only identified by his surname Song, was shot by a South Korean Coast Guard officer on the ship in waters near Wangdeung Island in Buan County, North Jeolla Province, and transferred to a hospital in the southwestern port city, where he later died, Coast Guard officials said.

“He died at Mokpo Hangook Hospital around 11:20 a.m. An autopsy is underway to determine the exact cause of his death,” an official told Yonhap News Agency.

The Coast Guard used guns during the raid as Chinese fishermen on board fought with the Coast Guard officials, the officials said.

“The cause of Song’s death is presumed to be the penetrating injuries sustained from a bullet,” said Jeong Jong-hyun, an emergency doctor at Mokpo Hangook Hospital.

“The piece of bullet about 1.6 centimeters was found inside Song’s body,” Jeong said, citing a CT image.

Expressing regret over the incident, the Seoul government said it has explained the details of the incident to China through diplomatic channels.  [Yonhap]

You can read more at the link.

Here is an update on the Chinese fishing boats that continue to violate South Korean waters that is getting worse every year:

Some 294 Chinese fishing boats and 2,905 Chinese fishermen have been caught so far this year illegally fishing in Korean territorial waters.

The number of Chinese trawlers caught illegally fishing in Korea’s Exclusive Economic Zone rose from 79 in 2007 to 91 last year, while the number of Chinese boats that trespassed into Korean territorial waters almost doubled from 27 to 53 over the same period.

Chinese fishermen are becoming increasingly brazen in their methods, and the scale of their activities is expanding. In the past, Chinese trawlers would only fish on foggy days or at night and slink away at daybreak. But these days they group together with ropes to create small armadas and resist arrest by using violence, or gang up against police wielding makeshift weapons.   [Chosun Ilbo]

ROK-Heads may remember the violent incidents these Chinese fishermen have caused when the Korean Coast Guard tries to take them into custody to include murdering one Coast Guard officer. The violence has continued as recently 5 more Coast Guard personnel were injured by the Chinese fishermen:

Five Korea Coast Guard (KCG) officers sustained injuries while rounding up Chinese fishing boats illegally operating in South Korean waters Saturday, according to the KCG Sunday.

This is the latest in a series of recent incidents in which officers enforcing the law were injured by violent Chinese fishermen. There have been growing calls for the Korean government to take a tougher stance against these trawlers unlawfully fishing in the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

According to the Jeju Coast Guard, a 1,500-ton patrol vessel seized a Chinese boat illegally fishing in the waters 12 kilometers northwest of the resort island at 4:25 a.m. Saturday. While towing the trawler to Jeju, about 25 Chinese boats illegally operating in nearby waters approached the ship and demanded the release of the captured trawler.

Soon after the patrol vessel called for reinforcements, 12 more Coast Guard vessels and two helicopters arrived at the scene and began rounding up the Chinese trawlers. Two more Chinese boats were captured but in the process, five officers were wounded by sailors resisting arrest with sharp objects. It is unknown how many Chinese fishermen were taken into custody.  [Korea Times]

You can read the rest at the link but these Chinese fishermen are even being caught in the East Sea now and are active in sabotaging the nets and intimidating South Korean fishermen.  Well now the Coast Guard has launched a new campaign to crackdown on the illegal fishing boats:

Stick-wielding Chinese fishermen illegally working in South Korean waters tried to evade arrest – by using rope to band their boats together.

The dramatic scenes unfurled on the Yellow Sea, off the South Korean coast near the south western city of Buan, during a three-day crackdown on illegal trawling in the area.

South Korea’s coastguard mobilised 12 ships, four helicopters and an elite team of armed soldiers to raid 10 boats.  [Daily Mail]

When these Chinese fishermen are detained they are let go after paying a $27,000 fine.  I still think they should confiscate their boats and send the fishermen back to China.  They won’t be doing any illegal fishing any more if they don’t have a boat to fish with.