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Russia blames Japan for death of fisherman in firing

Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW: Russia blamed Japan for the incident on Wednesday in which a Japanese fisherman was killed and accused Tokyo of encouraging poaching in Russian territorial waters.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said Russian border guards fired warning shots at a Japanese fishing boat which violated its waters after it refused orders to stop. The Ministry said in a statement that a fisherman was hit by a stray bullet as the Japanese crew were performing "dangerous manoeuvres" trying to prevent a Russian patrol boat from docking up with their boat.

Tokyo issued a "stern protest" to Moscow over the incident, but the Russian side rejected it. The Russian statement said Russian authorities had complained repeatedly to Japan about fishing vessels poaching in Russian waters. "Unfortunately, these warnings were not heeded," it said.

"Obviously responsibility for this incident lies wholly and absolutely with those who were the direct culprits and also with those representatives of the Japanese authorities who connive in the poaching trade by Japanese fishermen in Russian territorial waters," the Russian Ministry said.

Moscow's regret

Moscow said it deeply regretted the death of the Japanese fisherman and promised to send his body to Japan on Friday. However, the three other members of the crew and their boat will be remanded in Russia until full investigation has been carried out.

The Japanese crew were fishing in Russian territorial waters around the four Southern Kuril islands, which Japan also claims.

The islands were seized by the Soviet Union at the end of the war in 1945.

Later Russia offered to hand over two smaller islands to Japan, but Tokyo insists all four should be returned. The Russian Foreign Ministry said poaching by Japanese fishermen has stepped up over the past month.

"Russian border guards have information that small boats from Japan have been crossing the Russian state border near the islands of Tanfiliev and Anuchin every two-three days since July 20, 2006," the Ministry said.

The Russian stand on the disputed islands hardened after President Vladimir Putin came to power in 2000.

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