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The skipper of a Chinese boat, who was arrested by the Japan Coast Guard on Sunday on suspicion of poaching coral, was handed over to authorities in Yokohama on Monday afternoon.
Xie Huawen was the captain of a vessel suspected of operating in Japanese territorial waters in the Ogasawara chain of islands illegally since Friday. On Sunday, the vessel fled after ignoring an order by a Japan Coast Guard ship to land off one of the Ogasawara islands, TBS reported. After a five-hour chase, the coast guard caught up with the Chinese vessel.
Xie is the ninth Chinese fishing boat captain to be arrested for suspected coral poaching, the coast guard said.
Japan says there has been a swell in the number of Chinese fishing boats suspected of hunting red coral -- highly prized in China as jewelry -- since last month.
© Japan Today/AFP
13 Comments
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WA4TKG
GOOD.
WilliB
Good. Now go arrest the others.
Ranger_Miffy2
Only one boat???????????????
Tom Webb
The Japan Coast Guard should confiscate the boat and coral harvest. The captain should be thrown in prison. The Japan Maritime Self Defense force can use the boat as target practice.
Graham DeShazo
3 year's confinement, fine twice the value of the confiscated coral, confiscate and scuttle the boat. That's be a good start.
SenseNotSoCommon
Saw this on the news: the boat was a filthy rust bucket. Can vessels deemed unseaworthy be scrapped?
lucabrasi
Cue the Chinese protests....
John Galt
A captain and no deck hands? Confiscate and scrap every boat and release the scab captains only after the fines are paid. Any repeat offender should see prison time.
gelendestrasse
Queue the Chinese protests and overflights of the area in 3, 2, 1....
Jerome M. Besson
Xie Huawen's a happy skipper. Had he tried his stunt in South Korean or Russian waters, he would be casualty, no questions asked.
sfjp330
Tom Webb Nov. 24, 2014 - 09:50PM JST The captain should be thrown in prison.
There is no jail time. Up to now, Just light fines. However, Japanese goverment is making some changes. The maximum fine for refusing boarding by Japanese authorities would be 10 times the current amount.
YuriOtani
lucabrasi it is a long way from the Chinese Mainland. Out of range of their fighters and any recon would have lots of SDF company. The Japanese coast guard is dropping the ball as usual.
dbsaiya
Fines are useless since the amount received by the coral catch far exceeds the risk in paying the fine. Jail, and destruction of the vessel should seriously be considered. Naw, jail is tax money...hmmm. Walk the plank!