Japanese fishing vessel No. 38 Yoshi Maru was seized by Russian authorities late Tuesday in waters between the two countries and has been taken to the Russian port of Nakhodka. The Japanese government officials have confirmed the news about the capture of the boat. Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura, quoting Russian officials, said the crew members were safe and well.
According to Kawamura the Japanese officials have asked for an early release of the crew and the ship from a humanitarian viewpoint. He also said that the 122-tonne ship was seized as it was catching crabs in waters about 480 kilometres (300 miles) north of Japan’s western Tottori prefecture.
It is informed that Russia and Japan have frequently clashed over fishing rights. But Tuesday’s incident took place in the Sea of Japan (East Sea), not near disputed islands where previous incidents have occurred. Japan and Russia have not yet signed a peace treaty to end World War II because of the dispute over the islands, which the Soviet Union seized days after Japan surrendered in 1945.
It is said that same territorial row was re-ignited as Japan separately announced that it had cancelled humanitarian aid to the four disputed Russian-held islands, north of Japan’s main northern island of Hokkaido. But “immediately before unloading a ship, Russia demanded the disembarkation card be submitted in addition to the usual procedures, which was not acceptable from Japan’s position,” the ministry said in a statement.
