95 North Korean ‘Ghost Boats’ Found On Shores Of Japan In 2018

Several boats in a dilapidated state washed ashore in Japan on Monday. These boats were believed to be from North Korea.

Around 95 boats turned up this year so far on the shores of Japan, with some even carrying skeletonized bodies. So far, 12 bodies were found on the boats, the coast guard said, according to the Associated Press.

These boats washed ashore due to seasonal influx. Dozens of such boats were pushed onto Japan’s shore every year due to wind and water currents. The Rickety North Korean fishing boats were more likely to get washed away as they lack the sturdiness and equipment to return.

With the arrival of such ships soaring each year, the Japanese authorities have increased patrols. Experts believe the rise in number of ships may be related to a North Korean campaign to improve fish harvests to increase sources of protein in the country. The nation has been struggling to achieve food self-sufficiency and to overcome health issued due to poor diets and eating habits.

Experts added in order to achieve the target, North Korean fishermen may take more risks and venture farther from their usual waters. This could also possibly violate Japan's 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

Most of the boats that arrived on Japan's northern main island of Hokkaido this year may possibly be attempts to travel further north to escape patrols by Japan's coast guard.

The entry of these boats has also increased security concerns. In 2017, coast guards found approximately 30 bodies on the boats, while 40 others were alive.

In December last year, a 35-foot vessel was found in central Japan, near Kashiwazaki City. The dilapidated boat had Korean features and a dead man found in it was wearing a badge of North Korean founder Kim Il Sung. A second body was found a few miles away, while three other bodies were discovered floating in the waters off of northern Japan in the city of Fukaura.

Few days prior to that, two bodies and two ships were discovered near Oga City and three days earlier, a ship with three bodies was found on the shore near Tsuruokashi.

The discovery pointed out to the desperate situation in North Korea. The country was hit with tight economic sanctions for continued missile and nuclear weapons tests. With an estimated 70 percent of the county facing acute food shortage in 2017, the sanctions complicated getting aid to the country.

“It's after Kim Jong Un decided to expand the fisheries industry as a way of increasing revenue for the military. They are using old boats manned by the military, by people who have no knowledge about fishing,” Satoru Miyamoto, a North Korean expert at Seigakuin University in Japan, told CNN.

In addition to the poor condition of the nation, the waters of the Sea of Japan, that separates Japan and North Korea, could be tough for even experienced sailors let alone amateur fisherman who try to cross it in a desperate attempt to meet quotas for fear of punishment.

“[Sailors are] subject to great changes in [the] sea as well as weather conditions, and this constitutes a grave threat to navigation,” a Japanese Coast Guard warning noted.