Russia inspects more Japanese kelp fishing boats due to war in Ukraine

Russia has stepped up its inspections of Japanese kelp fishing boats off a disputed group of islands this year, a fisheries body and other sources said Monday, in apparent retaliation for Tokyo’s involvement in international sanctions. against the war in Ukraine. Russian border security officials carried out 195 boat inspections off the Habomai islet group, off Hokkaido in northern Japan, between June and July, far more than the 87 cases between June and September of last year, the sources said. But there have been no cases of seizure of boats. Russian inspections of kelp fishing boats…