Overview
- Japan’s Fisheries Agency says a patrol ordered the vessel to stop for inspection in Japan’s exclusive economic zone off Nagasaki, about 89.4 nautical miles south-southwest of Meshima.
- Officials say the boat fled, leading to the arrest of 47-year-old skipper Zheng Nianli; 10 other crew were on board.
- Local media report the captain was later released after China guaranteed a cash deposit, while the boat remains impounded as evidence and inquiries continue.
- The vessel, identified as Qiong Dong Yu 11998, is the first Chinese fishing boat seized by Japan since 2022; Japan also seized Taiwanese and South Korean boats in 2025.
- China urged Japan to respect the bilateral fisheries agreement and protect crew rights, while Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara pledged resolute enforcement against illegal foreign fishing.