Endless Battle Against Illegal Chinese Fishing Boats in NLL Golden Fishery

"Are you saying (the Chinese fishing boats) have crossed the NLL (Northern Limit Line)? We cannot just leave them be," said President Lee Jae-myung.

On June 24, while visiting the Marine Corps Yeonpyeong Unit one day before the 76th anniversary of the Korean War, President Lee personally observed about 30 Chinese fishing boats illegally operating in the waters near the NLL off Yeonpyeong Island and called for countermeasures.

However, it is realistically difficult to completely block these illegal operations, as the Chinese vessels cleverly exploit the inter-Korean standoff, moving back and forth across the NLL.

According to the Korea Coast Guard on June 28, the number of Chinese fishing boats illegally operating in waters near the NLL, which averaged about 200 per day a decade ago in 2016, has recently decreased to under 100 due to the Coast Guard's tough response.

The daily average number of illegal Chinese fishing boats in the NLL area was 94 in 2023, 90 in 2024, and 97 in 2025, before dropping to 65 this year.

These Chinese vessels are particularly active during the blue crab fishing seasons from April to June and September to November in the waters off Baengnyeong, Daecheong, and Yeonpyeong islands, sweeping up blue crabs, sand lances, and shellfish in the NLL area.

The NLL, which serves as a maritime demarcation line, is a restricted zone where fishing is prohibited for both South and North Korean vessels.

Chinese fishing boats are taking advantage of the situation, reaping profits from the NLL area, which is a "golden fishery" teeming with marine life.

Frustrated by the illegal fishing, local fishermen took matters into their own hands in June 2016, leading five of their own boats to capture two Chinese vessels.

A captain who participated in the capture at the time explained, "We went out to the fishing grounds south of Yeonpyeong Island at dawn and saw over 100 Chinese boats completely covering the sea north of the island. We were so angry that we took collective action."

Although these fishermen could have faced administrative penalties, such as the suspension of their maritime licenses or fishing permits for violating the Fisheries Act, the authorities did not punish them, considering their difficult circumstances.

Kim Jeong-hee, head of the Yeonpyeong Island Shipowners Association, said, "Blue crabs only started to be caught in late June, and it is infuriating to see Chinese boats overfishing in waters we cannot enter. It is time for special measures."

While Chinese boats continue their illegal operations in the NLL area, effective crackdowns are realistically difficult due to the risk of inter-Korean military conflict.

The NLL area is essentially a powder keg, as evidenced by the First and Second Yeonpyeong Battles in 1999 and 2002, both of which were triggered by disputes over blue crab fishing.

Chinese fishing boats cleverly exploit this inter-Korean tension to conduct their illegal activities.

Since the distance from Yeonpyeong Island to the NLL is only 1.4 to 2.5 kilometers, Chinese boats can flee into North Korean waters within 3 to 30 minutes once the Coast Guard begins a capture operation.

Even when Coast Guard officers board the vessels for capture, the crews keep the wheelhouse doors locked, knowing that as long as they maintain control of the steering, they can quickly escape into North Korean waters.

To facilitate a swift escape into North Korean territory, some of the smaller vessels are even equipped with three to four engines to increase their speed.

As a result, the number of Chinese boats captured by the Coast Guard in the NLL area—12 in 2023, 1 in 2024, 4 in 2025, and 2 this year—is significantly lower than in other parts of the West Sea.

An official from the Korea Coast Guard stated, "We established the West Sea Five Islands Special Security Group in 2017 to strongly respond to illegal fishing by Chinese boats in the NLL area, but there are practical difficulties in enforcement because the boats move between the North and South. Nevertheless, we will continue to conduct strong crackdowns in coordination with the military while ensuring safety."

Sanctions against Chinese fishing boats have been significantly strengthened under the current administration.

Following an amendment to relevant laws last month, the maximum fine for illegal Chinese fishing boats was raised from 300 million won to 1.5 billion won.

In a report to the Coast Guard last December, President Lee called for measures, stating, "If 10 boats come and only one is caught, and the other 10 chip in to pay the fine, it is very difficult to respond systematically. We need to raise the fines to a level that makes it burdensome for 10 boats to pool their money, so we can deal with them strongly."

However, such strengthened sanctions only apply when illegal Chinese boats are actually captured, meaning they do not affect those that evade the net in the NLL area.

In this situation, fishermen argue that installing a large number of artificial reefs in South Korean waters south of the NLL, where Chinese boats frequently appear, could be an alternative.

The fishermen emphasize that dropping steel and stone structures equipped with sharp hooks onto the seabed to create obstacles would deal a fatal blow to Chinese boats that drag nets along the sea floor to sweep up marine resources.

Kim Jeong-hee, head of the Yeonpyeong Island Shipowners Association, said, "The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Incheon Metropolitan Government are pushing for a project to install artificial reefs in the West Sea Five Islands, but they need to be installed in greater numbers and closer to the waters where Chinese boats frequently appear. Since most Chinese boats use pair trawling, artificial reefs can be a practical alternative."

It is reported that the government will discuss measures regarding illegal fishing by Chinese boats in the NLL area at the National Security Council (NSC) meeting on June 30.

Illegal fishing by Chinese boats slowed down slightly immediately after the outbreak of COVID-19 but has recently become rampant again.

Looking at the overall number of Chinese fishing boats captured by the Coast Guard, including those in the NLL area, the figures were 115 in 2019, 18 in 2020, 66 in 2021, 42 in 2022, 54 in 2023, 46 in 2024, and 57 last year, marking the highest level in four years.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.