DAECHEONG (SOUTH KOREA) (AFP) -
South Korean fishermen who work the flashpoint maritime border with North Korea tend to be a resilient bunch, but these days a larger, more powerful neighbour is making them lose sleep.
"North Korea is nothing compared to the Chinese fishing ships," said Choi Won-Jin, who has fished the crab-rich waters around his home island of Daecheong for decades.
Daecheong is one of five "frontline" islands whose proximity to the disputed border with North Korea means they are manned by thousands of South Korean soldiers and bristling with artillery units and bomb shelters.
But all that weaponry has failed to guard against what Choi sees as the biggest threat to the livelihood of the islands' fishing communities -- the "invasion" of Chinese trawlers.
According to official estimates, more than 1,000 Chinese fishing ships illegally accessed exclusive South Korean waters around Daecheong last year, with only four coastguard ships on hand to pose a deterrent.
The numbers have been growing every year as China's increasing affluence and appetite for seafood pushes more fishermen to venture beyond its overfished waters.
Smaller, wooden Chinese ships sneaking into South Korean waters were once tolerated in an area where the top priority has always been guarding against potential incursions from North Korea.
Read more:
http://www.france24.com/en/20150507-south-korea-vows-get-tough-with-illegal-chinese-fishing
