{"id":3988,"date":"2018-12-04T18:44:38","date_gmt":"2018-12-04T09:44:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.01.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/?p=3988"},"modified":"2018-12-13T10:16:26","modified_gmt":"2018-12-13T01:16:26","slug":"2018-drifting-boats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/2018\/12\/recommendations\/2018-drifting-boats\/","title":{"rendered":"\uff1cInside N. Korea\uff1e Dead fishermen, drifting boats...What is Kim Jong-un doing to improve the safety of North Korea\u2019s deadliest catch?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A wooden North Korean ship in the waters of Japan's EEZ. Taken in mid-August 2018 by the Japanese Maritime Safety Agency.<\/p><\/div>\n

Wooden fishing boats, which appear to of North Korean origin, are drifting along and washing up on the Japanese coast. As of November 21, more than 100 such ships have been recovered this year. Last year, more than 100 drifting and washed-up ships and 35 corpses were found. The figures as of this autumn are on pace to exceed last year's totals. Judging by the shape of the wooden ships, they are undoubtedly used by North Koreans to fish for squid (Some are spreading absurd rumors that they are North Korean spy ships).<\/p>\n

Related article\uff1a\uff1cInside N.Korea\uff1e Drifting Fishing Boat North Korean Spy Ship?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Squid fishing season in North Korea lasts from June to November each year \u2014 the same as Japan. The squid are either dried or frozen, and they are mainly exported to China. Seafood exports represented the third largest source of revenue for North Korea in 2016, amounting to around 200 billion won (27 million USD). Squid was the main product. However, seafood exports were completely banned last year after the U.N. Security Council passed a resolution on economic sanctions.<\/p>\n

Without a market to sell the squid, I expected there to be fewer ships going out to sea and washing ashore. In late May, however, North Korean ships were spotted fishing in the vicinity of Japan\u2019s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). According to the Japanese Fisheries Agency, the number of North Korean fishing boats operating illegally in the EEZ had surged to 5,000 by October. It was almost a full-fledged invasion. But what was responsible for this sudden influx?<\/p>\n

The attached graphic, released by the Japanese Fisheries Agency, shows the extent of North Korean fishing operations near the EEZ.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\u25c6Chinese companies purchase and store North Korean seafood in bulk in anticipation of the lifting of sanctions<\/strong><\/h2>\n

An ASIAPRESS reporting partner travelled to the fishing centers of Cheongjin and Nasun upon request to investigate further.<\/p>\n

The partner reported that the market price of dried squid had plummeted in 2018. This was due to the ban on exports as a result of the sanctions. However, since Kim Jong-un\u2019s second visit to China in early May, top-grade dried squid prices bounced back to 8,000 won per kilogram. Expecting sanctions to be lifted, Chinese traders had started to buy the squid again.<\/p>\n

Our reporting partner said, \u201cChinese traders are storing their purchases in North Korean depots until they can be exported. In addition, large quantities of dried squid are being smuggled to China along the upper stretches of the Yalu River\u201d.<\/p>\n

Related article\uff1a\uff1cInside N.Korea\uff1e North Korean state agencies openly engage in large-scale smuggling<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Next page: The type of fishing conducted in North Korea has changed...<\/strong><\/p>\n

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A satellite image of Cheongjin fishing port. Most of the moored boats are said to be used for fishing squid. (Google Earth)<\/p><\/div>\n

The type of fishing conducted in North Korea has changed dramatically since the mid-2000s. After the socialist system of collective fishing collapsed, the government established fishery offices under state institutions, including the military, to conduct fishing operations and export the catch to China. Aware of how much money could be made, individuals banded together to build and operate their own wooden boats in order to fish for squid. As private business is strictly illegal in North Korea, these individuals had to bribe state agencies to temporarily use official \u2018signage\u2019 for their ships.<\/p>\n

Regarding squid fishing in 2017, a man who worked at a fishing company in Cheongjin City and defected from North Korea at the end of last year explained: \u201cDuring the season, a fishing boat will usually leave the harbor for two weeks at a time. After returning with their catch, the fishermen will depart for the fishing grounds in a week. Fishermen get between two and three hundred thousand won per voyage, depending on the size of the catch. Since there are no other jobs with such a high salary, people are willing to take the risks that come with the work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, private fishermen, who had given up squid fishing due to the sanctions, are rushing back to the harbors along with many other poor North Koreans who hope to make their fortunes out at sea.<\/p>\n

\u25c6\u2018Don\u2019t fish close by, don\u2019t fish far away\u2019...Kim Jong-un's conflicting orders<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Last year, it was reported around the world that crudely constructed wooden boats were being frequently found adrift alongside with corpses. In October, a Pyongyang trade official who had returned from China said that the Kim Jong-un regime ordered countermeasures after losing face by such reports.<\/p>\n

\u201cKim Jong-un, humiliated by the reports, forbade small fishing vessels from sailing long distances or from entering the EEZ of Japan. Also, the North Korean Coast Guard will be held responsible for future accidents at sea, which has resulted in supervision becoming more difficult. I heard that fishing boats are under orders to rescue each other in case of an accident,\u201d the trade official explained.<\/p>\n

At the beginning of October, Kim Jong-un ordered another \u2018policy\u2019. A \u2018policy\u2019 is an order directly issued by the leader, which officials and organizations must obey unconditionally. The title of the policy was \u201cRegarding the active protection and growth of fishery resources\u201d.<\/p>\n

The North Korean trade official explained: \u201cDue to overfishing, offshore fisheries have been depleted, so offshore fishing has been prohibited since October. Only authorized fishing boats connected to the state\u2019s fishing project have been allowed to fish close to the shore. Other boats have to fish further off the coast.\u201d<\/p>\n

With one order forbidding them from sailing long distances and another keeping them from fishing near shore, fishermen are busy going out to sea as this year\u2019s squid fishing season nears the end.<\/p>\n

It is about 400 kilometers from the North Korean coast to Japan's EEZ. All of the recovered wooden boats are just 10 meters in length. In the fierce seas of late autumn, the boats must have been tossed about like leaves. One can only imagine what became of the people on board and what will happen to their families, waiting endlessly for their return.<\/p>\n

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