Part II Maritime Safety Trends
Chapter 1 Maintaining Maritime Order
I Territorial Patrolling, etc.
1. Policing Territorial Seas
(1) Present Situation
Since its establishment, JCG has been making unified efforts to police territorial seas as one of its most important missions. In 1999, JCG verified 1,801 foreign vessels, of which 1,792 were fishing boats, in Japanese territorial seas either carrying out unlawful acts such as operating, or behaving suspiciously by roaming, for example. Of the 1,562 vessels that committed unlawful acts, JCG issued warnings to 1,547 and had them leave immediately, arresting the other 15 vessels that committed serious offenses. Furthermore, as regards the 239 vessels that behaved suspiciously, JCG took necessary measures, including demanding that they cease their behavior in question or issuing warnings and making them leave the Japanese territorial seas.
(2) Response to the Situation Surrounding the Senkaku Islands
The Senkaku Islands are territory exclusively belonging to Japan located in the East China Sea, west-southwest off the Okinawan archipelago. In close contact with the relevant ministries and agencies, JCG undertakes policing of illegal entry into territorial seas and illegal landings of foreign vessels, for example, by regularly deploying patrol vessels to the waters surrounding the islands and conducting aircraft patrols periodically.
In 1999, JCG verified 1,548 Chinese fishing boats and 197 Taiwanese fishing boats conducting unlawful operations or behaving suspiciously in the islands' territorial seas, for example, remaining stationary or roaming, and forced them to withdraw to outside the Japanese territorial waters by issuing warnings from patrol vessels.
