Russian MFA rejected Japan's protest against fire at two violator schooners

02.02.2010 Source: RIA Novosti, photo: Kunashir Island (caas.ru)

Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected Japan's protest against attack on two Japanese fishing schooners violated Russian sea border.

"Considering the fact that Japanese party referring to its known position on the subject of South Kurils' status claimed a protest to Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on account of actions of Russian frontiersmen, we would like to report that we rejected this demarche as groundless and unacceptable", says the press release circulated Monday by Russian MFA Information and Press Department.

"Obviously, that is Russian party who has a reason for protests", underlined the release of the foreign policy authority.

Schooners Take Maru 58 and Kiiomi Maru 63 were detected by patrol helicopter of Russian FSB Coast Guard on Jan 29 at 01.15 pm (local time) at the sea northwest Kunashir Island. The ships did not respond to radio calls and warning fire and, as a consequence, Russian frontiersmen brought down aimed fire on violators. Proceeding from territorial pretensions to four South Kurils' island, Japanese MFA claimed a protest against Russia on the occasion of the incident.

"Specified vessels were in territorial waters of the Russian Federation at 1.5 nautical miles off Kunashir Island; that is violation of Agreement of cooperation in cropping of marine living resources tied between Russian and Japanese governments on Feb 21, 1998. This Agreement does not allow fisheries within 3-mile zone off South Kurils", reported Russian MFA.

According to Russian MFA Press Service, Japanese ships did not respond to radio requests (at international 16th safety channel and VHF emergency channel 124.5 MHz). To draw attention of Japanese schooners, Russian servicemen launched three red flares and carried out warning fire from on-board machinegun.

"Violators ignored demands of border authorities to stop and tried to leave Russian territorial waters", reported the press-release. Once frontiersmen took all actions provided by Russian legislation to force a vessel to stop – they had to fire for effect – Take Maru 58 and Kiiomi Maru 63 slowed down and heaved-to.

"Russian Coast Guard patrol ships were dispatched to the incident site for required examinations. However, Japanese schooners left Russian territorial waters and sailed to Japanese port Rausu, taking advantage of region's remoteness and difficult ice conditions. The fact that Japanese vessels violated intergovernmental Agreement and did not fulfill demand to stop was recorded by objective monitoring instruments. The investigation is in progress", says the release.

"Russian party considers Japanese fishermen violated provisions of the Agreement and regulations of Russian territorial waters. We count on Japanese authorized bodies to make more energetic efforts toward steadfast adherence of the named Agreement and Russian laws by Japanese fishermen so that regrettable incidents like the latest one would be completely eliminated".

According to reports from Tokyo, some details become transparent. For instance, Otaru Coast Guard service (Hokkaido, Japan) supposed that the crews of two Japanese schooners attacked on Friday by Russian frontiersmen had tried to sink a fact of the incident. That was reported by Kyodo Tsushin referring to sources involved in investigation.

According to the agency, attacked vessels do not have GPS loggings. Probably, they were just deleted by crews of both ships.

Japanese party previously said that on-board GPS-receivers had registered that ships had not sailed to the regions mentioned in bilateral agreement.

Kyodo Tsushin adds that on Monday there were evidences of attempts to cork some bullet holes at the ships before investigation started. Otaru Coast Guard service assumes that was done to suppress the fact of attack. Inquiry of crew members is being continued.

There are 15 bullet holes detected at Take Maru 58; at the second schooner - five. In total, crew strength of the two ships was 15; nobody suffered.