July 4, 2012

China and Korea in talks to tackle illegal fishing

Under a new joint consultative body, Korean and Chinese officials have held talks in Beijing for the first time, with aims of strengthening efforts in dealing with illegal Chinese fishing in Korean waters, Seoul officials reveal.

The consultative body was set up early this month after China accepted Korea's proposal to form the standing committee involving foreign ministry officials and maritime police from the two nations, officials said.

YonhapNewsAgency reports that Korea made the proposal following the December killing of a South Korean Coast Guard officer by a Chinese skipper during a raid on a Chinese boat.

"The first meeting of the Korea-China Fisheries Cooperation Committee is under way in Beijing today," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Cho Byung-jae.

The talks would include discussions regarding "constructive measures" to effectively prevent illegal Chinese fishing, Cho said, adding his ministry would announce details of the talks later.

Recently, a senior ministry official who spoke on the condition of anonymity told reporters that South Korea and China agreed to hold the committee meeting on a regular basis.

"Korea and China have also agreed to set up a hotline among relevant ministries between the two nations for a better communication when incidents take place while cracking down on illegal Chinese fishing in Korean waters," the ministry official said.

Chinese fishing boats have been recurrently caught poaching in Korean waters in the Yellow Sea, often leading to violence by the Chinese fishermen during raids by the South Korean Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard captured or sent back more than 470 Chinese fishing ships in 2011, which had illegally crossed into South Korean waters in search of anchovies, blue crabs and croakers that are abundant in local waters.