Russia naval ship prevents sinking Russia seiner, helps Japan boat

VLADIVOSTOK, January 31 (Itar-Tass) - The Russian Chukotka coastguard
ship, patrolling the area of the South Kuriles, headed off a possible
scuttling of the Russian Chastoozerskoye seiner and rendered aid to the
Japanese schooner Kitize Maru 31 which had been holed, reported on Sunday
public relations centre of the Sakhalin border authority.
The Chastoozerskoye got stuck in heavy ice on January 29. The Chukotka
coastguard ship was dispatched to help fishermen in distress off Kunashir
Island. It piloted the Chastoozerskoye from heavy ice and brought it to
high seas, "preventing the danger of the sinking of the vessel and the
crew", says a press release by borderguards.
Later in the day, borderguards received a telegram from the
headquarters the Japanese Maritime Safety Administration that the Japanese
schooner Kitize Maru 31 was holed while sailing between ice-floes. The
self-same coastguard ship Chukotka was dispatched to help the Japanese
schooner. It escorted the Japanese boat which could sail independently to
Japanese territorial waters.
The Japanese side expressed gratitude to the Sakhalin border authority
for cooperation and rendering aid to the Katize Maru 31 in distress.
-0-bur/gor