The Abe administration and ruling parties are considering raising the maximum fine for poaching by foreigners in Japanese territorial waters and exclusive economic zones to ¥30 million, government and party sources said Tuesday.
The move comes as several ships, thought to be of Chinese origin, are suspected to have been poaching red coral in waters around the Ogasawara and Izu islands south of Tokyo.
The administration and ruling parties are also expected to include a stipulation to impose about ¥6 million in additional fines per kilogram of poached coral if found on ships, the sources said.
Currently, fines of up to ¥4 million for imposed for poaching in Japanese territorial waters and up to ¥10 million for unauthorized fishing within Japan's EEZ.
The ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito aims to submit related bills to have the new measures enacted by the end of the current Diet session through the end of this month as a step to curb overfishing of rare maritime resources.
The punitive measures could be even tougher than those currently considered given calls within the ruling parties to impose stricter penalties.
The government and the ruling parties also plan to raise the amount of payments needed for the release of a ship's crew members arrested on poaching charges, the sources said.