Japan seizes Chinese fishing boat, arrests skipperThis handout photo taken on Thursday from Japan's Fisheries Agency shows Fisheries Enforcement Headquarters' fisheries patrol vessel "Hakuo Maru", left, and a Chinese fishing vessel sailing within Japan's exclusive economic zone off Nagasaki Prefecture. (Photo: Handout)TOKYO — Japanese authorities have seized a Chinese fishing boat and arrested its captain for allegedly fleeing inspection in its exclusive economic zone, an incident that could further inflame tensions between Asia's top two economies. While Japan has seized fishing vessels from South Korea and Taiwan in recent years, the incident is the first involving a vessel from China since 2022 and comes against the backdrop of a major diplomatic dispute between the countries. "We will continue to take resolute action in our enforcement activities to prevent and deter illegal fishing operations by foreign vessels," Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a regular press conference on Friday. In 2024, the agency conducted seven on-board inspections, seized a Taiwanese fishing boat and had 18 cases in which illegal fishing gear was confiscated, according to its annual report.
