Japanese Self-Defense Forces concerning information sharing at the early stages and measures against suspicious ships are being carried out.

## (4) Promotion of measures against marine crime

The increase in malicious and tricky illegal fishing, marine environment related crime (e.g. illegal waste disposal), and violation of the maritime related ordinance are the characteristics of recent marine crimes, including consecutive cases of large-quantity stimulant smuggling, the crime of using diving equipment and catching all the fish that are protected and reared by local fishers etc. Such marine crimes are under an unpredictable situation. Therefore, the Japan Coast Guard is strengthening monitoring and regulation through the efficient and effective utilization of existing forces of ships and aircraft, as well as close cooperation of related institutions. Additionally, those felonious crimes happening in the country that are related to drugs, guns and foreigners are considered to have been initiated by international criminal groups. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent those crimes entering the country as well as to increase the exposure level through the collection and analysis of information on the crimes, the reinforcement of monitoring and regulation, etc. At the same time, effective measures against smuggling are being taken, such as information sharing between the related institutions of our country (e.g. police and customs) and foreign countries (e.g. China, Korea, the Philippines and Russia).

### 4. Preservation of the Marine Interests of our Country

## (1) Security activities for preserving marine interests

In the water surrounding our country, incidents threatening our marine interests have been happening, such as resource development in the East China Sea by China, the Senkakushoto territories declaring activities by the activists of China and Taiwan, and the marine investigation activities in the East China Sea without our country's agreement. In order to ensure the sovereign power of our territorial waters, the guarding of the waters is firmly implemented. In addition, best efforts are being made toward the preservation of our marine interests through carrying out the monitoring activities of resource development activities that expand outside territorial waters in exclusive economic zones and marine investigation activities.

(2) Promotion of hydrographic surveys in the territorial sea and EEZ around Japan and unification of marine information

In Japan’s territorial sea and EEZ, there still exist sea areas without sufficient survey data. In these areas, the Japan Coast Guard is carrying out hydrographic surveys to intensively collect data of the bathymetry, the crustal structure and the territorial sea baselines that contribute to safe navigation, preserving marine interests, maintaining basic information for marine development and so on. Moreover, as a part of the measures according to the Basic Plan on Ocean Policy and under the integrated coordination of the cabinet secretariat, by getting the cooperation of the related ministries and government offices, the “Marine Information Clearing House” $ ^{1} $ has been built in the Japan Coast Guard for collecting, administering and unitarily providing the existing marine information provided by different institutes. The information has been utilized on the Internet since March 2010.

## (3) Measures to establish the outer limits of the continental shelf

In November 2008, in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Government of Japan submitted information on the limits of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles from the Japanese territorial sea baselines to the “Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS)” and the CLCS started examination of Japan’s submission in September 2009. Under the leadership of the Headquarters for Ocean Policy in the Cabinet, the Japan Coast Guard is dealing with the examination by the CLCS, by cooperating with other ministries concerned.

## (4) Preservation of Okinotori-shima

Okinotori-shima is located at the most southern part of our country. It is an extremely important island as it is the interest basis of the exclusive economic zone that is over the country's total area (around 400,000 km $ ^{2} $ ). Therefore, considering the importance in national land preservation and utilization, overall measures are taken by the direct administration of the country and possible utilization measures are being reviewed on the basis of this.

### 5. Protection of the lives and properties of citizens

## (1) Measures against the issue of North Korea

In response to the firing of ballistic missiles and the announcement of nuclear experiments by North Korea in July 2006 and October 2006 respectively, ship entry from North Korea has been prohibited based on the “Act on Special Measures concerning Prohibition of Entry of Specified Ships into Ports”. In April 2009, having considered the international environment, the effective period of the measure was extended to 13 $ ^{th} $ of April 2010. In order to firmly execute this measure, the Japan Coast Guard has been carrying out the verification of information on the entry of North Korean ships. Furthermore, in order to secure the effectiveness of measures for ship entry control against North Korea according to the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1874 adopted after the North Korea nuclear experiment of May 2009, the “Act on Special Measures concerning Cargo Inspections etc. Pursuant to the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1874 etc.” was submitted to the 173 $ ^{rd} $ Diet.