South Korea has seized three Chinese ships caught illegally fishing in its exclusive economic zone on the first day of a special crackdown to deter such incidents. 

The South Sea Fisheries Management Service under the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said the three ships were seized Friday morning, two of them for using banned fishing nets and the other for underreporting its fishing catch. 

The service said six fishery inspection vessels are being mobilized for the special crackdown that runs through next Wednesday in cooperation with the West Sea Fisheries Management Service.