South Korea and China agreed Tuesday to step up cooperation to rein in illegal fishing by Chinese fishermen in Korean waters, the Foreign Ministry said.

The two sides held the first talks since they launched a joint consultative body in January to address the rampant poaching. Foreign ministry officials and maritime police participated in the meeting in Beijing.

“The meeting enabled both sides to have deeper understanding of each other’s standpoint. The two countries agreed to expand exchanges between relevant government officials, reinforce emergency communication systems and make efforts to expedite sound cooperation in the fisheries industry,” the ministry said in a statement.

Chinese vessels have been caught scouting about for anchovies, blue crabs and croakers in the West Sea, often prompting clashes between Chinese fishermen and Korean authorities.

The consultation came at Seoul’s request after a December killing of a Korean Coast Guard officer by a Chinese skipper during a raid on his boat.

Beijing drew fire for its tepid initial response but then said in February it has sent two patrol teams near the West Sea and plans to toughen regulations and supervision for its fishermen.

Shortly after the incident, the Korean government relaxed regulations on the use of firearms by maritime police personnel in case of urgency. It also set aside 932.4 billion won ($810 million) until 2016 to improve their crackdown capabilities.

In May, the National Assembly passed legislation for harsher punishment for illicit operations within the Korean exclusive economic zone. The new law calls for doubling the maximum fine for unauthorized fishing to 200 million won and bars them from reclaiming their confiscated equipment. 

More than 470 Chinese boats were captured or returned in 2011, according to the Coast Guard.

By Shin Hyon-hee (heeshin@heraldcorp.com)