The West Sea Regional Coast Guard announced Monday it is bolstering its enforcement capabilities ahead of an intensive crackdown on illegal foreign fishing vessels during the peak fishing season.
The agency will hold a two-day "Illegal Foreign Vessel Enforcement Capability Competition" beginning Tuesday.
Designed as a combat-realistic program simulating actual enforcement scenarios, the event will comprehensively assess the tactical proficiency and on-scene response capabilities of officers aboard medium and large patrol vessels, while sharing best practices in preparation for the second-half intensive crackdown.
Evaluations will be divided into land and maritime components. On land, officers will be assessed on situational judgment and operational execution through tactical briefings. At sea, the assessment will cover core enforcement competencies including high-speed boat operations, maritime inspections, search and rescue, weapons and suppression equipment handling, and emergency first aid.
During the second-half peak fishing season, illegal foreign fishing activity is expected to increase, along with more organized resistance — including coordinated interference with inspections and mass flight attempts.
The West Sea Regional Coast Guard said it is continuously conducting vessel-specific combat training and specialized education, while strengthening officers' expertise and field response capabilities through updated regulations, the Korea-China fisheries agreement, and intelligence analysis training.
The agency also plans to maintain a handover and cooperation framework with the China Coast Guard for illegal fishing vessels, and to expand collaboration with related agencies including the West Sea Fisheries Management Corps to improve enforcement effectiveness.
"In the first half of this year, we seized 14 illegal foreign vessels, conducted inspections on 355, issued warnings to 18, and expelled or blocked 160," an agency official said. "We will continue to strengthen education, training and domestic and international cooperation in responding to illegal fishing."
kkm9971@heraldcorp.com
