SEOUL-- A Chinese fishing boat has been seized for allegedly underreporting its fish catch in violation of Seoul's fishing regulations, the oceans ministry said Tuesday.

The ministry's fisheries management service seized the 106-ton vessel in waters off the southwestern county of Shinan at around 6 p.m. on Monday, as its crew members were suspected of having underreported the fish catch on a daily log to catch more from South Korea's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the Yellow Sea, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.

An additional probe is now under way, and any violations will lead to fines or other penalties, it added.

"There have been increasing cases of Chinese fishing boats trying to evade our on-board investigations, citing the COVID-19 pandemic," ministry official Yang Jin-moon said.

"We will toughen the crackdown and seizure operations while implementing thorough antivirus measures," it added.

South Korea has seized four other Chinese fishing boats so far this year for underreporting their fish catches to the authorities here.

Chinese fishing boats are allowed to enter South Korea's western EEZ for fishing on the condition that they keep records of their activities and operate within limits.

Last year, South Korea seized a total of 108 Chinese fishing boats in violation of due regulations. Of the total, 23 were caught for entering the zone without permits for fishing, and most of the remaining cases were for underreporting fish catches, according to the ministry.

Some Chinese fishermen have used violence during raids by the South Korean Coast Guard. In 2011, a South Korean Coast Guard officer was killed by a Chinese skipper during a raid.

Source: Yonhap News Agency