North Korean Fishing Boat's Crew Rescued After Colliding with Japanese Ship

A Japanese boat (top R) involved in rescue work as a life boat from a North Korean fishing vessel (bottom R), northwest of Noto Peninsular, central Japan, in this handout photo taken October 7, 2019 and provided by Japan Coast Guard. 9th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters – Japan Coast Guard/Handout via REUTERS

By Kiyoshi Takenaka TOKYO, Oct 7 (Reuters) – Japan rescued about 60 North Korean crew members from a fishing boat that sank after it collided with a Japanese patrol boat that was chasing it out of Japanese waters, the Japan Coast Guard said on Monday.

All the crew members that abandoned the fishing boat were rescued and handed over to another North Korean ship, the Coast Guard said.

The collision between the North Korean vessel and a patrol ship from Japan’s Fisheries Agency took place 350 km (220 miles) northwest of Noto peninsula in central Japan.

Following the collision shortly after 9:00 a.m. (0000 GMT), the Fisheries Agency and Coast Guard mobilized seven ships and aircraft to search for North Korean crew members.

The Coast Guard did not give details about how the two vessels crashed in the Sea of Japan, but Taku Eto, minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, said a sharp turn by the North Korean ship caused the accident.

“The collision happened because the other ship took a sharp turn. There were no injuries on our patrol ship,” Eto told reporters.

A Japanese official said the North Korean boat was fishing illegally in Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

“Normally, we police illegal fishing with such steps as using water cannon or showing messages on electronic displays,” Satoshi Kuwahara, head of the Fisheries Agency’s enforcement division, was quoted by public broadcaster NHK as saying.

“This time, the contact happened while we were warning the ship to sail away.”

The collision took place near a rich fishing ground known as the Yamato Shallows. Japan has said North Koreans are illegally poaching squid in the area. (Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka, Tim Kelly; editing by Larry King)

(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019.