Mokpo Coast Guard, Illegal Operation Disguised as Fishing Boat... Imprisonment and Suspended Sentence

Full Effort to Crack Down on Illegal Fishing Operations

Mokpo Maritime Police Station (Chief Kwon Oh-seong) recently reported a case where a boat owner disguised as a fishing vessel was prosecuted and legally punished for violating the Fishing Management and Promotion Act due to illegal business operations.

According to Mokpo Maritime Police, boat owner Mr. A was sentenced to 6 months in prison and was taken into custody, while captain Mr. B received a 4-month prison sentence with a 2-year probation.

Mokpo Coast Guard boarded the fishing boat in question last March to conduct an inspection.
[Photo by Mokpo Coast Guard Station]

The fishing vessel in question illegally operated about 180 times since March last year at a pier in Imja-myeon, Sinan-gun, disguising 19 fishing customers as crew members.

Despite having already reported the closure of the fishing vessel business to the local government, boat owner Mr. A recruited fishing customers through SNS and collected departure fees, engaging in profit-making activities.

To avoid detection by the maritime police, the vessel turned off the Vessel Position Transmitter (V-PASS) and Automatic Identification System (AIS) in the area and conducted illegal fishing operations, leading to its capture.

Chief Kwon Oh-seong stated, “Illegal fishing operations undermine maritime security services and threaten the lives and safety of the public,” adding, “We will continue thorough monitoring to ensure safety management.”

He further added, “We will persist in investigations and crackdowns not only to respond to maritime crimes but also to prevent human casualties.”

Mokpo Maritime Police conveyed a message through this incident that strict measures are necessary against illegal fishing operations and that acts threatening maritime security will never be tolerated.

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