Despite imposing a ban on Japanese seafood products, Chinese vessels continue to be active near Japan’s shores. Reports Nikkei Asia.
Talking to Nikkei Asia, A Japanese fisherman in June revealed, that the waters off Sanriku have seen an influx of Chinese fishing vessels in recent years. The areas around Sanriku and Hokkaido are internationally renowned for their rich fishing grounds, where the warm Kuroshio Current meets the cold Oyashio Current. Chinese vessels have been operating in these waters since 2010.
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Another fisherman recounted an incident where a Chinese fishing boat threatened him with fireworks while he was fishing near Sanriku. He felt that the presence of Chinese vessels was an attempt to force them off their fishing grounds.
Talking about the encroachment of Chinese vessels, the head of Kesennuma Distant-Water Fisheries Cooperative Ichiro Suzuki said ‘Except for the winter months of January through March, you can catch a lot of fish all year round, including horse mackerel, sardines, saury, and cod. Japanese vessels and overseas vessels, especially Chinese ones, overlap in the fishing grounds off Sanriku. Thus, the competition for resources has become more intense.’
Meanwhile, the Chinese government has sharply attacked Japan’s decision to release water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant, calling the treated water ‘nuclear-contaminated water.’ As a result, it enforced the ban on all Japanese seafood imports, supposedly to protect Chinese consumers’ health.
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But, despite the presence of the ban, Chinese vessels continue to remain active in Japanese waters. As per the data given by Nikkei Asia, the operating hours of Chinese vessels off Sanriku were minimal until 2021, but there was a significant increase in 2022. Currently, around 50 Chinese fishing vessels operate in the area daily.
(With Inputs From ANI)
