A large number of Chinese fishing boats are catching crabs in waters near the Yellow Sea border between South and North Korea, the Korea Coast Guard said Wednesday, as crab season is in full swing until next month.

According to the coast guard, an average of 200 Chinese fishing boats have been catching crabs every day in waters close to the Northern Limit Line, the de-facto sea border between the two Koreas.

Some of them often cross into South Korean waters in search of abundant fish stocks, regularly leading to violent resistance by Chinese crews when their boats are boarded by South Korea Coast Guard officers.

But this year, the number of Chinese fishing vessels appearing near the NLL has declined by 20 percent from last year, due to the decrease in the crab stocks and the more frequent crackdowns by law enforcement authorities on illegal Chinese fishing activities. 

Last month, the Korea Coast Guard, under the Ministry of Public Safety and Security, deployed additional personnel and vessels around five islands in the Yellow Sea before the peak time of crab-catching season in April and May.

So far this month, the coast guard has captured 13 illegal Chinese fishing boats and turned away 717 others, a marked increase from seizure of three ships and expulsion of 354 during the same period last year.

As the crackdown is reinforced, some Chinese fishing boats are moving into waters near Yeonpyeong Island which is relatively exposed to North Korean coastal artillery, according to the coast guard.

Yeonpyeong Island is a volatile area where the navies of the two Koreas fought in 1999 and 2001, resulting in casualties on both sides as they tried to protect their fishing boats operating there. 

Nevertheless, the presence of Chinese fishing boats in the area fuels naval tensions between the two Koreas because South Korean patrol vessels maneuver to drive away Chinese boats coming close to the NLL, which in turn, forces North Korean patrol boats to maneuver in response. (Yonhap)