South and North Korea have exchanged information on illegal fishing operations by Chinese vessels near the Northern Limit Line(NLL) sea border.

Seoul's Defense Ministry said the two sides resumed the exchange of information on illegal fishing by third country vessels through their military communication line on Friday, mainly on Chinese boats illegally fish along the de facto maritime border in the Yellow Sea.

Though their numbers have recently dropped, still 40 to 50 boats are known to appear near South Korea's border islands.

It is the first time in ten years for the two Koreas to resume this exchange of information since May 2008. 

The information sharing began in 2004 but came to a halt four years later amid strained cross-border relations. 

The exchange will take place twice a day via phone or fax and each side will notify the other about the number of illegal fishing boats as well as their location and hours of operation. 

Seoul's Defense Ministry said the exchange will help ease military tensions along the NLL and more effectively clamp down on Chinese illegal fishing. 

The move is part of efforts to enforce an inter-Korean military agreement reached in September.