Japanese authorities have seized a Chinese fishing vessel and arrested its captain after the boat allegedly failed to comply with an order to stop in Japan’s exclusive economic zone off Nagasaki Prefecture.
The Fisheries Agency announced the action early Friday. The incident took place in waters off southwestern Japan and represents the first detention of a Chinese fishing boat by the agency since 2022.
Skipper accused of evading inspection
The 47-year-old captain, Zheng Nianli, was arrested on Thursday. He stands accused of attempting to evade an onboard inspection by a Japanese fisheries control officer.
The encounter occurred approximately 170 kilometres southwest of Meshima Island in Goto, Nagasaki.
The agency’s regional office said the vessel carried a crew of 11 and was a tiger net fishing boat, a type commonly used to catch species such as mackerel and horse mackerel.
First foreign detention this year
This seizure is the first time in 2024 that the Japanese Fisheries Agency has detained any foreign fishing vessel.
The agency regularly conducts inspections and enforcement operations to combat illegal fishing activities within Japanese waters.
Government pledges resolute action
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara addressed the matter at a regular press conference in Tokyo on Friday.
He confirmed that the investigation remains ongoing and stressed that the government will respond resolutely through enforcement efforts to prevent and deter illegal activities by foreign fishing vessels.
The development unfolds against the backdrop of months of strained diplomatic relations between Japan and China under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
Enforcement record from last year
Last year, authorities detained two foreign vessels — one Taiwanese and one South Korean.
The agency’s annual report for 2024 recorded seven onboard inspections, which led to the seizure of one Taiwanese fishing boat and the confiscation of illegal fishing equipment in 18 separate cases.
