'Ghost Ship' with No Name or Number... Illegal Chinese Fishing Boat Caught in the West Sea
Recently, a so-called 'three-no' ghost ship—lacking a vessel name, registration number, and port of registry—was caught by the Korea Coast Guard while illegally fishing in our territorial waters in the West Sea. These ghost ships have been operating while concealing their information to evade enforcement.
This case was resolved through close cooperation between the Korea Coast Guard and the China Coast Guard. Through a joint investigation, the coast guards of both countries identified the actual shipowner who led the illegal fishing operations. The true identity of the ghost ship, which had previously been unknown, has finally been revealed.
Chinese fishing boats engaged in illegal fishing indiscriminately harvest marine resources in our waters, causing significant damage to local fishermen. In particular, ghost ships with no information have raised serious safety concerns, as it is difficult to hold them accountable even if an accident occurs.
This crackdown is significant in that both South Korea and China have cooperated to address the issue of illegal fishing. Moving forward, our Coast Guard plans to strengthen enforcement to protect our territorial waters in the West Sea and eradicate illegal activities.