Jail for illegal fishing on seas
Print Edition
CHINA’S Supreme People’s Court declared yesterday that people caught illegally fishing in Chinese waters could be jailed for up to a year, issuing a judicial interpretation defining those waters as including China’s exclusive economic zones.
The regulation, which took effect yesterday, states that Chinese citizens or foreigners will be pursued for criminal liability if they engage in illegal hunting or fishing, or killing endangered wildlife in China’s jurisdictional seas.
An unnamed official from the supreme court said maritime courts across China have handled many maritime cases in recent years.
“People’s courts’ jurisdiction over the Diaoyu, Huangyan and Xisha islands and its adjacent sea areas has never stopped,” the official said.
“Judicial power is an important component of national sovereignty,” said the official, adding that “the courts will actively exercise jurisdiction over China’s territorial waters, support administrative departments to legally perform maritime management duties, equally protect the legal rights of Chinese and foreign parties involved and safeguard Chinese territorial sovereignty and maritime interests.”
The judicial explanation, based on Chinese law, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and judicial practices, further clarifies China’s maritime jurisdiction.
According to the regulation, jurisdictional seas not only include inland waters and territorial seas, but also cover regions including contiguous zones, exclusive economic zones and continental shelves.
The regulation also addresses Chinese citizens or organizations engaged in fishing in fishing zones or the open sea under co-management between China and other countries, according to signed agreements.
A Supreme People’s Court official said applying the Criminal Law to crack down on crimes in China’s jurisdictional seas is conducive to safeguarding territorial sovereignty and maritime integrity.
Minister Urges Readiness
CHINA’S defense minister has urged preparations for a “people’s war at sea” to counter offshore security threats and safeguard sovereignty.
Chang Wanquan made the comments several weeks after an international ad hoc tribunal issued a ruling on the South China Sea, which the country angrily rejected.
Chang “called for recognition of the seriousness of the national security situation, especially the threat from the sea.” The military, police and people should be mobilized to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, he said in Zhejiang Province.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
