News Desk <\/p>\n
The Yomiuri Shimbun <\/p>\n
Publication Date : 24-10-2014 <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Coral poaching by Chinese fishing boats in waters around the Ogasawara Islands has been rapidly increasing. <\/p>\n
Earlier this month, nearly 50 such vessels were spotted in the area, where they were believed to be searching for valuable red coral and other jewellery coral that inhabit the deep sea. Catches of such jewellery coral are regulated in China. <\/p>\n
The Japan Coast Guard has been cracking down on coral poaching by Chinese fishing boats, some of which have entered Japanese territorial waters or Japans exclusive economic zone. <\/p>\n
Few such ships were spotted on ocean waters earlier this year, according to the JCG. But since September, the number of Chinese fishing boats in such areas has surged, with confirmed sightings of at least 46 such vessels as of October 13. <\/p>\n
The boats are believed to have started coming because the seas are calm at this time. <\/p>\n
The coral live 100 metres or more below the sea surface and are commonly used in jewellery in China. Red coral is traded for 6 million yen per kilogram. According to the JCG, Chinese fishing boats have been poaching coral mainly in the East China Sea near Okinawa Prefecture. It is possible that they moved to waters around the Ogasawara Islands because law enforcement in the waters near Okinawa Prefecture was strengthened, the JCG said. <\/p>\n
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Chinas coral poaching off Japan's islands on the rise<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" News Desk The Yomiuri Shimbun Publication Date : 24-10-2014 Coral poaching by Chinese fishing boats in waters around the Ogasawara Islands has been rapidly increasing. Earlier this month, nearly 50 such vessels were spotted in the area, where they were believed to be searching for valuable red coral and other jewellery coral that inhabit the deep sea. Catches of such jewellery coral are regulated in China. Continue reading