Gyeonggi Special Judicial Police Crack Down on 12 Illegal Fishing Offenders in Lakes and Rivers

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province has caught a large number of people engaging in illegal fishing activities in major rivers and lakes within the province, such as catching mullet with fishing gear without permission or fishing for Korean spotted bass during the prohibited period.

The Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police for Public Livelihood announced on the 9th that from April 25 to May 27, in cooperation with the Korea Rural Community Corporation, they cracked down on illegal fishing activities mainly occurring during the fish spawning season in relatively large inland waters such as the Namhan and Bukhan Rivers, Hwaseong Lake, Tando Lake, Imjin River, and Hantan River, and detected 12 cases.

Among the major cases, Mr. A was found to have illegally caught 30kg of mullet using a gill net (a net stretched horizontally) in Hwaseong Lake without obtaining the required permit for fishing with such gear. Mr. B, who operates a seafood wholesale and retail business, was caught on site along with Mr. A while attempting to transfer the catch to a live fish transport vehicle for distribution.

Mr. C and Mr. D were caught in Tando Lake, Ansan, catching 15kg of freshwater shrimp and 15kg of snakehead fish using a square-shaped net (a net designed to guide fish inside) without permission. Mr. E was caught carrying unregistered fishing gear (trap nets) that require permits on an unregistered fishing boat and capturing 26kg of freshwater shrimp and other species without authorization.

The special judicial police also caught three cases of illegal fishing activities on site near the Imjin River in Yeoncheon County, including anglers and local residents who caught Korean spotted bass during the prohibited period.

Under the current 'Inland Water Fisheries Act,' anyone who fishes without permission or possesses, distributes, or sells illegally caught aquatic products, or catches aquatic resources during the prohibited period, is subject to imprisonment for up to one year or a fine of up to 10 million KRW. Those who possess unlicensed or prohibited fishing gear may be fined up to 10 million KRW.

The special judicial police plan to refer those caught violating the Inland Water Fisheries Act to the prosecution.

Illegal catches were immediately released on site to protect and preserve aquatic resources. Illegal fishing gear found during the investigation was mostly removed voluntarily after guidance. However, for gear not removed, the Korea Rural Community Corporation, as the water surface manager, and related departments will be notified for prompt removal.

Additionally, in preparation for the possibility that illegally caught aquatic products from Hwaseong Lake were distributed in the market, the Gyeonggi Marine and Fisheries Resources Research Institute was requested to conduct a safety investigation, which confirmed that no items exceeded food safety standards.

Kim Min-kyung, head of the Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police for Public Livelihood, emphasized, "To detect illegal fishing activities targeting Korean spotted bass, which mainly occur at night, we conducted stakeouts during weekend nights and carried out customized investigations such as early morning weekday stakeouts in the inner areas of Hwaseong and Tando Lakes, where chronic illegal fishing occurred, using closed-circuit television (CCTV) to identify activities in advance. This approach was effective. We will not only strengthen crackdowns but also propose improvements to the central government and the National Assembly to clarify punishment regulations so that illegal fishing activities completely disappear."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.