SHISHI, (China): Numerous fishing boats set sail from ports in Fujian Province as a fishing ban imposed by China on its vessels in the East China Sea, including the waters around the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture and the Taiwan Strait, ended on Saturday (Aug 15).
Hundreds of vessels have been seen around the Senkaku Islands in the past, a situation that has heightened tension with Japan. In light of deteriorating Japan-China relations, Beijing’s response will be closely watched.
Local media reported that 654 vessels set out from the city of Shishi alone on Sunday (Aug 16) morning.
Many of them were flying the Chinese national flag as well as red and yellow flags symbolizing wishes for safe fishing and big catches.
Boats set sail from the fishing port in Shishi one after another, and the sound of firecrackers could be heard from some of the vessels.
Chinese Coast Guard vessels and 200-400 fishing boats swarmed the area around the Senkaku Islands and incursions into Japanese territorial waters were confirmed in August 2016.
The official vessels and fishing boats are believed to have navigated in coordination, and the Japanese side lodged a strong protest, claiming that China had unilaterally heightened tension in the region.
The Arbitral Tribunal in The Hague issued a ruling rejecting China’s sovereignty claims in the South China Sea in July 2016.
Japan has demanded that China accept the ruling, and some viewed these provocative actions as a reaction to that demand.
In recent years, local government authorities have instructed fishermen not to operate in “sensitive waters.”
The Chinese side appears concerned that an accident could happen and worsen relations with Japan.
As a result, the number of warnings issued by the Japan Coast Guard to Chinese fishing vessels that entered the territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands dropped from 81 in 2021 to four in 2025.
On Aug 7, the authorities in city of Quanzhou, which has jurisdiction over Shishi, called for strengthening surveillance of sensitive waters.
However, a fisherman in his 50s who spoke to a reporter on Saturday noted that the waters around the Senkaku Islands are rich fishing grounds and implied the possibility of continuing to fish in the area.
“If we get too close to Japan, we’ll be caught by Chinese authorities conducting surveillance,” he said. “However, we haven’t been told outright not to go there.”
There have also been subtle changes in the authorities’ stance. Typically, the Chinese government issues a notice around May.
Last year the notice stated, “We will strictly prevent cross-border fishing in sensitive waters such as those of South Korea, North Korea and Japan.”
However, the notice dated April 30 this year stated that “fishing operations in the interim measures area between China and South Korea are strictly prohibited.”
The mention of Japan has been omitted, leading some diplomatic sources to suggest that “we should closely monitor the situation.” - The Yomiuri Shimbun
