Chinese Boats Swoop in on Squid

Squid for North Koreans are essential when it comes to
putting food on the table, so much so that they are dubbed as “providing the means
to feed the country’s people.” Recently, however, Chinese fishing
boats engaged in pair trawling practices are reportedly dominating the East Sea, dealing a severe blow to people’s livelihoods, the Daily NK has
learned.

“For all residents living along the eastern coast, squid is
their main export, providing for them throughout the year,” a source in North
Hamkyung Province’s Chongjin City told the Daily NK on Tuesday. “Recently, dozens of Chinese fishing vessels have
been swarming in and pair trawling, reducing the catch [for North Koreans] to
about half.”

Pair trawling, a practice where two boats, with one towing
each warp [towing cables] swiftly through spawning aggregations of fish, is
illegal in South Korea and a number of other countries, but according to the source, a pervasive practice among these fleets pouring in from China. 

“Using boats decked out with the latest equipment, Chinese
vessels have been going around everywhere scooping up all the squid,” the source
explained. “This is because in the mid 2000s the General [Kim Jong Il] granted
permission to a Chinese company run by Jang Keum Chun, the grandson of Jang
Wool Hwa, to fish for squid.”

Jang Wool Hwa was an independence activist who sided with
Kim Il Sung during the fight for liberation from Japanese rule in the early
1930s. Records on the activist are found in Kim Il Sung’s memoir “With the
Century,” on which the source alleged Jang’s permission to fishing rights in the East Sea–extended by Kim Jong Il–to be predicated.

“Before, boats could just catch squid in the waters close
by, but now they have to go out farther than Chinese vessels,” the source said.
“This means sailing for seven to eight hours–not only is it impossible to afford
the required fuel, they are more 
susceptible to accidents,” citing this as cause behind the some 300 fisherman who perish annually.

“People used to export all the squid and bring in rice, but
now since Chinese boats catch squid themselves, we lack the means to get our hands on rice,” the source said. “Dried squid for export
used to sell for over 10,000 KPW a kilogram, but now it only fetches about half
that.”

Many residents have voiced their grievances, saying, “They’ve even sold the East Sea over to China.” Others point out the alleged source of the problem, complaining, “Because of one person
[Kim Jong Il] things are getting worse for the public.”

Meanwhile, spates of Chinese fishing vessels last month sought refuge near Ulleung Island in South Korea
following a marine weather alert. The South’s squid catch is said to have
dropped to 170,000 tons from last year’s 270,000 tons, also reported to be in
close connection with China’s fishing operations in North Korean waters.