seasons for and the number of Japanese fishing vessels engaged in the various types of commercial fishing in the waters concerned.
2. Monitoring Foreign Hydrographic and Oceanographic Survey Vessels
JMSA uses patrol vessels, craft, and aircraft to rigorously pursue and monitor foreign oceanographic survey vessels, etc., in waters related to continental shelves over which Japan considers it has jurisdiction. In the past six years, the trend of foreign oceanographic survey vessels, etc., confirmed in these waters has been as follows: after a peak of 71 ships in 1990, the number declined to nine ships in 1993 because of the dramatic drop in the number of cases involving Russian (Soviet) oceanographic survey vessels. However, since 1994, the number of Chinese oceanographic survey vessels has increased relative to their numbers in the past, and so JMSA confirmed 24 foreign oceanographic survey vessels in 1994, and 12 foreign oceanographic survey vessels in 1995.
3. Response to Suspicious Ships in the East China Sea
From 1991 to 1994, JMSA confirmed 79 cases of suspicious vessels firing, tracking or otherwise engaging in dubious activity against Japanese or foreign fishing vessels, freighters and other ships (45 incidents committed against Japanese ships and 34 incidents committed against foreign ships) in the international waters of the East China Sea.
However, the backdrop to this series of incidents involving suspicious ships is rampant smuggling of goods into China and Chinese law enforcement efforts against this. The transfer of cargo, such as tobacco (cigarettes), at sea, which is thought to be related to this smuggling, continues, with confirmed cases numbering 31 in 1994, 32 in 1995, and six in 1996 (as of July 31).
It is for this reason that JMSA will continue to patrol the East China Sea rigorously hereafter to prevent this kind of crime.
4. Protecting Japanese Fishing Vessels
(1) Ships Seized off Hokkaido
In 1995, Russia seized two Japanese fishing vessels (two persons captured), both in the Soya Kaikyo (La Perouse Strait). In one of these cases, the Russian border police's patrol craft fired upon the fishing vessel and injured one person during the seizure. There have been no cases of seizures as of the end of July 1996. However, as they did in 1994 and 1995, Russia is enforcing the law against poaching through the implementation of what they call "Puchina (fishing season)" in Russia's far eastern waters, and they are demonstrating the hard-1ine stance of being prepared to use arms against violators. It is for this reason that JMSA endeavors to maintain order in the fishing industry by deploying patrol vessels and
