South Korea has warned it will fire upon boats found fishing illegally in its waters. This follows the sinking of a coast guard vessel by Chinese fishing boats causing Seoul to summon Beijing's ambassador.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/ChinaFotoPress/Maxppp
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The South Korean coast guard said Tuesday that its officers would be authorized to use firearms, including pistols and deck cannons, against illegal Chinese fishing vessels if deemed threatening.
The South Korean coast guard vessels regularly chase Chinese boats for fishing illegally off its coast. An incident last week in which Chinese boats rammed and sank a 4.5-ton South Korean coast guard boat has raised tensions, caused diplomatic protest and saber rattling.
"We will actively respond to Chinese fishing boats that obstruct justice by using all possible means if needed such as directly hitting and gaining control of those Chinese fishing boats as well as firing common weapons," Lee Choon-jae, deputy chief of South Korea's coast guard, told reporters on Tuesday.
No injuries were reported in last week's sinking but the dispute remains an irritant in relations between China and South Korea, even as their economic relations grow close and they share concerns about North Korea's nuclear weapons arsenal and ballistic missiles.
Three Chinese fishermen were killed last month in a fire that broke out on their vessel after the South Korean coast guard threw a flash grenade into a room where crew members were hiding.
A long-running dispute over fishing grounds
South Korea and the United Nations Command, which oversees the Korean War armistice, launched a joint operation this summer to keep Chinese fishing vessels from operating illegally off South Korea's west coast.
South Korea has repeated its complaint to China about illegal fishing by Chinese trawlers and urged Beijing to help come up with a permanent solution.
Beijing's Foreign Ministry said Monday that Chinese authorities were still verifying the situation but urged South Korea to remain calm. Qiu Guohong, China's ambassador to South Korea, did not comment to reporters as he arrived on Tuesday at the foreign ministry.
One boat against an ocean of illegal fishing
Illegal driftnet fishing kills literally tons of marine animals every year, including endangered species. Sea Shepherd patrols the South Indian Ocean to try and stop it - bearing witness to the carnage of bycatch.
Image: Sea Shepherd Global/Tim Watters
Protecting marine life
While patrolling the South Indian Ocean, Sea Shepherd crew onboard the "Steve Irwin" retrieved an abandoned driftnet that was about 5 kilometers long - twice the maximum legally allowed length. Pulling in the net, they could already feel the weight of death. Once they brought the net on board, they realized the extent of the damage.
Image: Sea Shepherd Global/Eliza Muirhead
The carnage of bycatch
Retrieved from the illegal driftnet were 321 bodies of dead marine animals; 20 could be returned to the ocean alive. Critically endangered animals were among the 12 species caught. Captain Siddharth Chakravarty believes sharks were the target species, to be sold for their liver and skin. All the rest ended up as bycatch - unwanted animals caught along with the rest.
Image: Sea Shepherd Global/Tim Watters
Driven by markets
Of the 300-plus animals in the net, 126 were blue sharks. The blue shark is listed as near-threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Around 20 millions are killed each year for their meat, fins, liver and skin - primarily for markets in China and elsewhere in East Asia.
Image: Sea Shepherd Global/Tim Watters
Few escape death
From all the marine life recorded in the confiscated driftnet, only 20 specimens were alive and could be put back into the sea. Eighteen blue sharks, one molamola fish and a squid were among the few lucky ones. Two entangled brown seals, however, were part of the unfortunate majority.
Image: Sea Shepherd Global/Eliza Muirhead
Critical for critically endangered species
Such high amount of bycatch is generally bad news - but it's even worse when the bycatch also includes critically endangered species, such as southern bluefin tuna. Found dead in the driftnet were 25 members of this declining population. The species has been intensively fished for its highly prized meat.
Image: Sea Shepherd Global/Tim Watters
Crime scene investigation
The look on the face of this crew member holding a dead dolphin leaves no doubt: This represents a tragedy for the Sea Shepherd team. But the retrieved drift net will be used as physical evidence, required to complete a land-based investigation and prosecute the fishermen responsible for this illegal practice.
Image: Sea Shepherd Global/Eliza Muirhead
Tracking poaching vessels
The Steve Irwin is still trying to track the Chinese-flagged fleet that set the illegal net. This aerial photo shows one of the vessels near a long illegal driftnet. According to Captain Siddharth Chakravarty, such driftnets can be up to 20 kilometers long - a legal net is limited to 2.5 kilometers in length.
Image: Sea Shepherd Global/Eliza Moorhead
To be continued ...
Captain Chakravarty, pictured above, says the fleet responsible for this illegal driftnet has perpetrated at least 11 violations of international law, including: fishing with large-scale pelagic drift nets; unreported shark catch; retaining juvenile sharks onboard; and catching critically endangered southern bluefin tuna as a non-signatory party. This will form the basis of an official accusation.
