S. Korea troubled by illegal Chinese fishing boats

INCHEON, May 4 (Yonhap) -- Scores of Chinese fishing boats have recently
reappeared near the volatile inter-Korean border in the Yellow Sea as the
crab-catching season approaches, maritime police here said Monday.
Chinese boats frequently violate the inter-Korean border, called the Northern
Limit Line (NLL), to fish. However, they had disappeared since North Korea's
announcement in February warning against violations of its territorial waters
ahead of its April 5 rocket launch.
The poorly marked maritime border is rich in crabs. The navies of the two Koreas
fought gun battles in the area in 1999 and 2001, resulting in heavy casualties on
both sides as they tried to protect their fishing boats operating there.
According to the Incheon Maritime Police, some 10 Chinese boats have
intermittently appeared again near South Korea's Yeonpyeong Island every day
since April 22, with some 40 such boats spotted on Sunday alone.
Maritime police have dispatched a special task force to the area to crack down on
illegal fishing since April 10. They seized a Chinese boat on charges of
violating South Korean waters for illegal fishing on Monday.
Illegal operations by Chinese fishing boats are expected to intensify late this
month, the peak of the crab-catching season.
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