JABAR EKSPRES – South Korea and China have agreed to step up cooperation to curb illegal fishing by Chinese vessels in the East Sea, the South Korean Maritime Ministry said Wednesday.
Under the agreement reached at a three-day working-level meeting last week, South Korea will immediately notify China of suspected illegal fishing in North Korean waters in the East Sea.
China is then required to notify South Korea of the results of its investigation and take follow-up action, according to South Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.
China has banned its fishing vessels from operating in North Korean waters following the imposition of UN sanctions against North Korea.
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South Korea also asked China to require Chinese fishing vessels to install an automatic identification system, called AIS, and the two sides agreed to discuss the issue in the second half of this year, the ministry said.
The two sides also decided to expand the areas targeted by their joint patrols against illegal fishing activities starting next year.
South Korea and China currently conduct joint inspections against illegal fishing in parts of the provisional measures zone, an area where fishing vessels from both neighbors can fish.
“We will continue to strengthen cooperation with the Chinese Government to eradicate illegal fishing by Chinese vessels and will proactively manage marine resources,” ministry official Kim Won-bae said.
