RUSSIAN VESSEL FIRES ON JAPANESE FISHING BOAT NEAR

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 004665 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/16/2016 TAGS: PREL MARR JA RS SUBJECT: RUSSIAN VESSEL FIRES ON JAPANESE FISHING BOAT NEAR NORTHERN TERRITORIES Classified By: Ambassador J.Thomas Schieffer. Reasons 1.4 (B) (D) ¶1. (C) On August 16, MOFA European Affairs Bureau, Russian Division Deputy Director Kazuioshi Onishi confirmed media reports that a Russian vessel had fired on a Japanese fishing vessel in waters near Kaigara Island. MOFA has been able to confirm that one crewmember on the fishing ship died, but Japanese authorities do not yet know the cause of death, i.e. whether by gunshot or other means. According to Onishi, FM Aso will call in Russian Embassy Charge Mikhail Galuzin on the evening of August 16 to request an explanation. ¶2. (C) Russian Embassy officials told European DG Harada that the Japanese vessel had been traveling without lights and was not flying a national flag, Onishi said. The Russian vessel fired at least one warning shot after the fishing ship failed to respond to a request to stop. Onishi repeated that, at this point, Japanese authorities could not say whether the fishing crewmember died as a result of subsequent shots that were fired, or because of some other reason. ¶3. (U) Japanese media report that the Nemuro Japan coast guard received notification about 7:40 a.m. (local) from the Nemuro Fisheries Cooperative that a crab fishing boat belonging to the cooperative, the No. 31 Kissin Maru, had been shot at by a Russian coast guard vessel and captured. The press is claiming that one fisherman has been killed after being shot in the head. Yomiuri reports that the Japanese vessel has been taken to Kunashiri Island, one of the Northern Territory Islands controlled by Russia. SCHIEFFER