Two vessels seized for illegal fishing, border trespassing
Coast guards in Primorye detained two vessels for violating fishing rules and trespassing the state border on Sunday in the course of the Typhoon 2007 operation, Interfax reports.
A patrol ship found the Progress fishing boat flying the Cambodian flag in the Peter the Great Bay in Russia's territorial waters, a source in the territorial border department told Interfax on Monday. The crew ignored orders to stop.
"The fishing boat was chased for about two hours and surrendered only when coast guards threatened to open fire," the department press service said.
Inspectors found crab traps and herring bait in the hold. The crew did not have a fishing permit, and the ship was convoyed to Nakhodka for further investigation.
Another fishing boat, the Rusk, is being convoyed to the Nakhodka seaport. It was spotted in Russia's exclusive economic zone and tried to escape from the coast guards.
"The chase ended in the exclusive economic zone of Japan," the press service said.
The vessel was carrying 1,700 crab traps and four tonnes of bait, herring and Alaska Pollack. It had no fishing permit either.