Japan detains Chinese boat captain and crew for illegal fishing
A Japan Coast Guard vessel sprays water against Taiwanese fishing boats, while a Taiwanese coast guard ship also sprays water in the East China Sea near Senkaku Islands as known in Japanese or Diaoyu Islands in Chinese on September 25, 2012.
Japan detained three Chinese fishermen on Saturday for fishing in Japanese waters without permission, Bloomberg Businessweek reported.
Officials released the boat captain and two crew members today after they promised to pay a $49,700 fine, China's state news agency Xinhua said, according to Reuters.
According to Bloomberg Businessweek: The incident comes amid a dispute between China and Japan over territory in the East China Sea, with China asserting sovereignty over uninhabited islands that are administered by Japan.
More from GlobalPost: What Japan and China stand to gain, and lose, in Senkaku
Today Japan’s coastguard said that it saw three Chinese maritime patrol ships in the waters around the islands, which China calls Diaoyu, the Australian reported.
Japan’s Kyodo News said that the Japanese defense ministry is considering using US drones to watch over the territorial waters "in a bid to counter China's growing assertiveness at sea, especially when it comes to the Senkaku Islands", the Australian reported.