Japan coast guard detains Chinese fishing boat

Posted date: February 03, 2013 In: News In Image, World

SHANGHA (Reuters) – Japan’s coast guard detained aChinese fishing boat near the southern Japanese island of Okinawa on Saturday and arrested the captain for collecting coral illegally, a coast guard official said.

The vessel was detained off Miyako Island, some 150 km (95 miles) from islands in the East China Sea at the centre of a territorial dispute between the two countries, and about 400 km (250 miles) east of Taipei.

In this photo released by Japan Coast Guard 11th Regional Headquarters, Japan Coast Guard patrol boats approach a Chinese fishing boat, left, off the northeastern coast of Miyako island, about 200 kilometres (124 miles) southwest of the disputed islands, called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, Saturday, Feb 2. Coast Guard officials said they arrested the Chinese captain of the 100-tonne boat earlier Saturday for suspected illegal fishing inside Japanese exclusive economic waters. AFP

A long-simmering row over the East China Sea islands, known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China, has in recent months escalated to the point where both sides have scrambled fighter jets while patrol ships shadow each other in nearby seas.

In September 2010, the arrest of a Chinese trawler captain by the Japanese coast guard near the disputed islands triggered a barrage of strong words from Beijing and protests in front of Japanese diplomatic missions.

The Japanese coast guard official said on Saturday the captain of the boat was arrested for alleged violation of Japanese law to protect the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) from unauthorised fishing.

The vessel was found collecting coral inside the EEZ, 46 km east-northeast of Miyako island, east of Ishigaki, the official said.

The boat and crew of 12 people were being taken to Miyako island.

China’s official Xinhua news agency, quoting the Chinese Consulate General in the city of Fukuoka, said the vessel had been detained for “alleged unauthorised coral fishing”.

“The consulate has urged the Japanese side to ensure the safety of the Chinese sailors and will visit the captain when he arrives at Miyako,” Xinhua reported.