South Korea Expands Fishing Zone To Prevent Illegal Chinese Fishing In The Area

The South Korean government decided to expand the fishing zone and hours of fishing by the Korean fishermen in the western inter-Korean sea border to stop and prevent the Chinese fishing vessels from the area.

According to a government ministry, the measure of expanding the fishing zone is intended for the local fishermen in order to help them increase their income and because of the struggles they encountered from the Chinese fishing boats illegally operating in the area.

The Yeonpyeong Island zone was designated in 1969 and located below the Northern Limit Line (NLL) which a line that runs between the Gyeonggi province and other offshore islands. It is also a demarcation line between North Korea and South Korea.

According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the island zone will be broadened by 14 square kilometers to the west starting on Saturday, October 1. Moreover, the fishermen will be allowed to fish in the zone starting 30 minutes before sunrise and one hour after sunset on the months of April -May and October-November which are the period where the peak season of crabs occurs.

Furthermore, due to safety and security measures of the local fishermen, daytime fishing has only been permitted because night fishing brings danger to the lives of the fishermen in the country.

Earlier this year, two fishing boats of China was seized by the maritime police of the Republic of Korea after South Korean fishermen spotted the Chinese vessels conducting illegal fishing in the Yeonpyeong Island located at the Yellow Sea. Since early 2000s, the dispute between China and South Korea over illegal fishing at the Korean coast has been a growing problem in both countries

Previously, China has territorial disputes among Southeast Asian countries like Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam where in China made some land claim in the islands that scoped by the border line of the said countries.