RUSSIAN Coast Guard members off the country’s southeastern coast opened fire on a suspected Chinese fishing vessel to stop it from “poaching” in the Sea of Japan, a spokesman for Russia’s Border Guards Service said yesterday.

He said the vessel, flying the flag of China, refused to stop after a demand from the Coast Guard and tried to escape.

“After a three-hour pursuit, the Dzerzhinsky Coast Guard vessel fired warning shots, but the poaching vessel continued its maneuvers,” he said.

The vessel carried more than 22.5 tons of squid and had a crew of 17 Chinese nationals. None of them were killed or wounded, Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency reported. However, Voice of Russia reported that one Chinese was missing. (SD-Agencies)