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Jang In-sik, acting commissioner general of the Korea Coast Guard, announces measures to counter illegal fishing by foreign vessels near the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the West Sea at the Government Complex Seoul on the 27th. / Yonhap

The South Korean government is stepping up crackdowns and countermeasures to eradicate illegal fishing by foreign vessels in waters near the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the West Sea.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced on the 27th that it plans to launch an all-out response under a pan-governmental master plan devised through consultations with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Unification, the Ministry of National Defense, and the Korea Coast Guard to address illegal fishing near the NLL.

Currently, although fishing by foreign vessels is prohibited in the West Sea NLL waters, some foreign boats continue illegal operations by exploiting the dense concentration of military forces between North and South Korea. This tactic takes advantage of South Korean enforcement units facing restricted access. To dismantle the perception among foreign vessels that enforcement activities are limited near the NLL and to eradicate illegal fishing, the government has decided to elevate its response across all waters south of the NLL.

To strengthen crackdown operations, procedures for sharing intelligence between the military and police will be streamlined, while legal revisions will be pursued to penalize related maritime activities such as anchoring and supply replenishment for fishing operations. First, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will overhaul relevant statutes, including the Enforcement Decree of the Territorial Sea and Contiguous Zone Act, to support Coast Guard crackdowns on ancillary fishing activities within territorial waters, such as mooring, anchoring, and provisioning.

The Ministry of National Defense plans to streamline intelligence-sharing procedures, including joint military-police situational assessments and the provision of evidentiary footage regarding illegal foreign vessels anchored or moored near the NLL, while enhancing on-site enforcement support, surveillance, and vigilance. The resulting enhancement in information sharing is expected to boost the effectiveness of the Coast Guard's on-site enforcement operations.

Enforcement capabilities of the Coast Guard's West Sea 5 Special Security Unit will also be expanded. The government plans to expand enforcement equipment and personnel by introducing two new special maneuver boats to the unit and establishing a new special suppression team on Baengnyeong Island, following existing teams on Yeonpyeong and Daecheong islands. The West Sea 5 Special Security Unit was established in 2017 as a dedicated organization to crack down on illegal foreign vessels near the NLL.

In addition, illegal fishing gear will be dismantled promptly, and artificial structures will be installed to fundamentally deter illegal fishing. Starting in September, the oceans ministry will deploy one decommissioned fishing vessel and two private removal vessels to clear illegal gear installed south of the NLL. The ministry plans to secure additional decommissioned vessels to establish a permanent removal system. Artificial structures will also be installed in areas frequently visited by foreign vessels to disrupt fishing activities.

In particular, the ministry plans to urge compliance with agreements reached at the South Korea-China Joint Fisheries Committee, which require South Korea to notify the China Coast Guard of illegal fishing information, and Chinese authorities to strictly penalize violators and report back the results. Furthermore, crackdowns will be tightened on increasingly sophisticated illegal operations, such as vessel information manipulation and unauthorized modifications. These measures will take effect starting next month, coinciding with the beginning of the autumn blue crab fishing season.

"Based on close cooperation among relevant ministries, we will strictly respond to illegal fishing by foreign vessels near the West Sea NLL and do our utmost to protect our fishery resources and secure the fishing rights of our fishermen," Oceans and Fisheries Minister Hwang Jong-woo emphasized.

Earlier on August 11, the government mobilized a total of 31 enforcement vessels from the Coast Guard, Navy, oceans ministry, and local governments to carry out a joint interagency crackdown targeting foreign vessels remaining long-term in waters near Yeonpyeong Island, seizing eight Chinese vessels and expelling 24.

                                                                                                          Bae Seok-won